This difference is the more deplorable in that for years previous to 1877 the
results of the management in the North-Western Provinces had been greatly better
than the results in Oudh.
This better management in Oudh during 1877 has so far favourably affected
the results for the combined provinces that I am still able to report a very considerable
decrease of venereal disease amongst the troops of the garrison in 1877 as compared
with the prevalence during the five years before the lock-hospitals were opened.
82. The comparative failure in good results during the past year cannot be set
down to any serious failure in the discovery, treatment, and cure of the diseases from
which the registered women suffered, for in a total of 1,817 registered women in
1876 a total of 3,219 cases of disease were cured, and in a total of 1,203 registered
women in 1877 a total of 3,049 cases of disease were cured
.
The reports which I have previously summarised show incontestibly that the
management of the registered women is admirably effected almost everywhere, and
that they are not likely to be a cause of disease to any serious extent.
83. The stations of the North-Western Provinces in which the failure has been
marked during the past year are Agra, Benares, Ránikhet, and Sháhjahánpur, and it
will be necessary to call attention to the facts as regards these four garrisons of failure.
At Agra, from the year 1874 to this last year of report, there had been a steadily
decreasing ratio of disease prevalence amongst the soldiers, so much so that in 1876
the prevalence had fallen from 212 per 1,000 for the years before lock-hospitals were
established to 92 per 1,000 for that year. Now in 1877 the ratio has risen to 248
per 1,000, showing worse results than obtained before the hospital was established.
In para. 9 of this report it may be read that this untoward result was due
to disease contracted by the soldiers from unlicensed women driven to prostitution in
large numbers as a means of escaping starvation during a time of scarcity. These
women were able to solicit the soldier publicly, to tempt them by accepting a small
remuneration. In para. 10 it may be seen that the sub-committee was not active to
prevent the prevalence of disease.
At Benares for the past four years the results have shown a persistent prevalence
of venereal disease, especially syphilis, there, which fairly entitles it to take rank as the
most dangerous of all stations of the provinces in regard to this matter. For the
five years before lock-hospitals existed the ratio of prevalence amongst the garrison was
373 per 1,000. For the past four years the mean ratio has been 417 per 1,000 ; for
1877 it was 479 per 1,000.
At para. 25 it may be read that the medical officer does not think this a
very excessive ratio when the proximity of the lines to the city and bazárs is taken
into consideration. By which it may be understood that the soldiers are able to con
-
tract disease from unlicensed women therein.
It may also be seen that, as a rule, the registered women were examined only
twice in the mouth, and that some of those women were a cause of disease to the soldiers.
At Ránikhet in 1877 the ratio of prevalence was 38.1 per 1,000. The mean ratio
of the previous three years is 124 per 1,000. At para. 33 it may be read that the
increase of disease was due to the sexual intercourse of soldiers with unlicensed women,
fifteen of whom on arrest were found diseased. Many more would have been arrested
but for a rule forbidding the arrest of a woman whilst inside a house, , and but for the
hard treatment the detective peons experienced at the hands of the soldiers.
And it may be seen that part of one of the regiments of the garrison came from
Benares, the station of great venereal prevalence. This may account for the violent
outbreak of disease at Ránikhet in 1877. In 1876 the ratio : of prevalence was only
52 per 1,000.