( 11 )
The Medical Officer thinks that the venereal picket has been useless, excepting
as a means of punishment for soldiers cured of venereal disease who have to serve on
this picket. Punishment by having to make up arrears of duty may also have had
a deterrent effect.
The cantonment registered women have been examined every second day.
The medical officer suggests that the soldiers should be required to confine him-
self to the registered women, and he thinks the registered women should not be visited
by native men.
37. The papers contain no remark by the Cantonment Committee.
38. The Magistrate is of opinion that venereal disease at Bareilly has been con-
tracted by the soldiers mainly from unregistered women, who are unusually numerous,
as a result of the famine of 1877-78. Having taken to prostitution, these women have
continued to practise it. And probably more of these women are diseased now than
in 1878.
The native population, as well as the soldiers, has suffered from this cause of
disease.
As regards the soldiers, effective measures of prevention can be taken only by
Commanding Officers, who should limit the liberty of the soldier, and severely punish
men who falsely accuse a registered woman of being a cause of disease.
The restriction of the soldiers liberty might result in making unregistered women
unpopular.
Now they are popular with the soldier—a cause of hindrance to the arrest of
these women by the police.
39. The Commissioner notes the great increase of venereal disease amongst the
registered women and the soldiers during 1879. He thinks the Magistrate is correct
in his opinion that the increase of disease has been due to the existence of many
unregistered starving women, who took to prostitution during the famine of 1877-78,
and have continued to practise it.
This startling increase of disease seems to make the curtailing of the soldiers
liberty a measure worthy of serious consideration by the military authorities.
(7).—FYZABAD.
40. During the year 1879 a monthly average of 91 women remained on the
register against 97 in 1878.
41. The results of the management have been very satisfactory. For the six
years, 1874-79, the ratios of admissions to hospital for venereal disease amongst the
European garrison have been 333, 503, 345, 211, 196, and 158 per 1,000 of strength
respectively.
42. The Medical Officer reports that the lock hospital is situated in Fyzabad
city, about 1½ miles from cantonments, and that there are no quarters available for
the hospital assistant, who receives Rs. 3 per mensein in lieu of quarters, and resides
in the vicinity of the hospital.
The weekly returns of disease prevalence amongst the soldiers have been regularly
received. The type of disease seen amongst them was mild. All soldiers newly ar-
rived were medically inspected within twenty-four hours of arrival at Fyzabad. And
two cases of syphilis and five of gonorrhœa were discovered at these inspections.
The type of disease amongst the women was also very mild.
The disease which happened amongst the soldiers was chiefly contracted from un-
registered women. Time after time the soldiers accused registered women of being
the cause of their disease, and upon most careful examination, and after deten-