NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
( 2 3 )
A condition of disease generally accounted for in the reports by the fact that
soldiers communicated disease to the registered women, or that they contracted disease
from native men, whose visits they were obliged to receive as a means of livelihood
when the soldiers neglected them. This is most plainly shown in paras. 25 and 81.
And the circumstance adds great force to the opinion that the successful manage-
ment of the lock-hospital system depends in greatest measure upon the action of
commanding officers. The women of the system must live, and if the soldier is able
to neglect them by reason of easy access to other women, native men step in to take
his place—to the increase of disease amongst the women and injury to such soldiers
as continue to support them.
102. The points which call for special attention in this report are :—
1 st.—The request of the Cantonment Committee at Cawnpore, that the cantonment
lock-hospital funds should be relieved from the expense of maintaining city women
while in hospital (para. 5).
2nd.—The necessity of requiring that change of garrison shall not necessitate
change of rules found necessary for the welfare of the soldiers of the previous garri-
son (paras. 6, 7, 30, 33).
3rd.— The advantage likely to result from careful medical inspection of all soldiers
on arrival at a new station (paras. 12, 58, 58½, 59).
4th—The settlement of the question as to whether the lock-hospital at
Lucknow is to be a certified hospital under the Contagious Diseases Act (para. 16).
• 5th. —The request of the Lucknow Cantonment Magistrate for sanction to rule
submitted to Government for better control of women residing outside the cantonment
boundary (paras. 20, 21, 22, 23).
6th.—The urgent requirement for increased accommodation in the Allahabad
lock-hospital (para. 30).
7 th.—The possible advantage of punishing a diseased soldier by loss of pay
(para. 32).
8th. —The important recommendation of the Collector of Meerut, that the whole
control of lock-hospital administration should rest entirely with the Officer Command-
ing the Station.
The President and Members of the sub-committee to be combatant officers of
the forces present ; the Cantonment Magistrate not to be a member, but to effect the
wishes or orders of the committee ; the Medical Officer to be a Military surgeon
(para. 42).
9th.—The propriety of supplying suitable accommodation to the medical assistant
attached to the Fyzabad lock-hospital (para. 45).
10th.—The necessity of removing the Moradabad lock-hospital from the city to
cantonment (paras. 54 to 56).
11 th.—The propriety of providing better accommodation for the registered women
at Chakráta (para. 67).
12th.—The necessity of providing better accommodation for the medical subor-
dinate attached to the Naini Tal hospital, and kutcha huts for the servants.
( 28 )
These words, I think, describe very well the true circumstances of the case. The
system provides lock hospitals, medical officers and establishments, rof women and their
maintenance in hospital when diseased, at a cost, for the past year, of Rs. 36,405-7-3.
But the action of the soldiers defeats the object aimed at. Attracted to other women,
they do not support the registered women, who for means of livelihood receive the
visits of native men, to the danger of disease where safety is desired.
To the cost abovementioned must be added a considerable sum for printing
charges. And some account must be taken of the extraordinary amount of official
correspondence which the system entails. Year after year, reports, returns, opinions,
letters and statements accumulate, until the book printed under the heading
" Working of the lock hospitals" reached, in 1877, to a volume of 135 foolscap
pages.
16. Gathering the results of all this endeavour into one small table, the figures
of which, excepting for the column of 1878, are taken from statement II., attached to
the note on the lock hospital reports of 1877 of the Sanitary Commissioner with the
Government of India, the unwelcome fact appears that, as regards venereal disease,
the British troops of these provinces suffered therefrom in nearly equal ratio during
the five years before lock hospitals were established, and during the five years last past.
Annual ratio of admissions from venereal disease per 1,000 of British troops occupying
the following Cantonments for the five years before lock hospitals were opened and for
the five years 1874-78.
No.
Cantonments.
Me a n o f t h e 5 y e a r s b e f o r e l o c k h o s p i t a l s w e r e o p e n e d .
1874.
1875.
1876.
1877.
1878.
M e a n o f t h e 5 y e a r s 1 8 7 4 - 7 8 .
1 Cawnpore ...
... ...
324.
398.
375.
229.
2 3 7 .
303.
308.
2 Lucknow ...
...
•••
272.
2 9 8 .
3 8 9 .
321.
206.
292.
301.
3 Agra
•••
..•• ...
212.
2 0 8 .
1 4 5 .
141.
275.
3 9 7 . 233.
4 Allahabad
...
....
305.
352.
2 9 0 .
220.'
247.
354.
293.
5 Bareilly ...
...
312.
2 5 1 .
163.
136.
171.
213.
187.
6 Meerut ,..
..
• • •
324.
185.
223.
149.
151.
243.
190.
7 Fyzabad ...
...
...
287.
333.
503.
345.
211.
1 9 6 . 318.
8 Benares ...
.••
.•.
373.
4 1 8 .
419.
593.
597.
334.
4 7 2 .
9 Moradabad
... ...
274.
255.
252.
123.
199.
374.
241.
10 Ránikhet ...
..
...
*153.
184.
141.
58.
288.
468.
228.
11 Sháhjahánpur
.••
••
360.
.
300.
2 4 5 .
319.
3 3 3 . ‡299.
12 Chakráta ...
...
142.
128.
120.
186.
6 8 .
162.
1 3 3 .
13 Jhánsi
...
...
..
309.
284.
9 9 .
1 8 5 .
1 5 5 .
188.
182.
14 Naini Tal...
...
••
281.
244.
157.
1 7 0 .
257.
187.
203.
15 Roorkee ...
...
...
2 0 9 .
200.
209.
170.
101.
262.
1 8 8 .
1 6 Mutter
•••
•..
••
1 9 3 .
254.
195.
176.
146.
223.
199.
1 7 Sitapur... ...
...
342.
3 8 0 .
397.
334.
2 9 6 .
3 3 3 . 348.
Mean of the 17 hospitals
...
2 7 4 . 8
† 2 7 3 . 2
2 5 7 . 4 222.8
230.8
286.0
254'3
*
O n e y e a r .
† M e a n o f 1 6 h o s p i t a l s .
‡ M e a n o f f o u r y e a r s .
NAINI TAL,
C. PLANCK, SURGEON-MAJOR,
The 17 th May, 1879,
Sany. Commr , and Supdt.-Genl. of Vaccination,
N. W.-P. and Ouch.
8
No. 1.—Annual return of women registered and diseases treated in the lock-hospitals of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh for the year 1878.
Number.
Lock-hospital at
Total of prostitutes registered.
Number r emoved, names, di ed, or abseconded.
0
.4 m
0
44
4.1 M o n t h l y a v e r a g e o f p r o s t i t u t e s o n r e g i s t e r .
bp
CI
CD
g a,
0 k
n
M o n t h l y a v e r a g e a t t e n d i n g p e r i o d i - c a l e x a m i n a t i o n s .
Tot a l of c a s e s r e por t e d t o Ma gi s t r a t e f or non- a t t e nda nc e i n t he ye a r . T o t a l c a s e s o f d i s e a s e d i s c o v e r e d a n d t r e a t e d .
RECORD OF DISEASES TREATED.
T o t a l o f b o t h f o r m s o f d i s e a s e .
M o n t h l y a v e r a g e n u m b e r o f p r o s t i - t u t e s i n h o s p i t a l .
Gonorrhœa, leucorrhœa, and other minor forms of
disease.
Syphilis.
R e m a i n e d .
Admitted.
Total.
Discharged.
Died.
R e m a i n i n g .
Total.
Remained Admitted.
Tot a l .
Discharged.
Died.
Remaining.
Total.
1 Cawnpore
•••
•••
••• 282 124 160.7 144.7 143 495
8 247 255 229
1
25 255
19 248 267 238 ...
29 267
...
50.5
2 Lucknow
...
...
... 173
39 134.0 98.0 20 525
17 492 509 489 „„
20 509
3
33
36
35 ...
1
36 ...
26.0
3 Agra
• ••
• • •
••• 201
94 144.0 85.9 61 273
5
89
94 174
1
19 194
1
84
85
74 ...
1 1
85 ...
21..7
4 Allahabad
•••
•..
•.. 207
56 136.2 94.7 282 403
22 280 302 290 .„.
12 302
4 123 127 114 ...
13 127 ...
27.5
5 Bareilly
...
•••
••• 219
92 108.6 103.3 112 208
3
90
93
86 ..,
7
93
4 118 122
93 ...
29 122 ...
16.0
6 Meerut
•••
...
•.. 174
51 106.6 82.8 61
149
5
79
84
78 •..
6
84
2
70
72
66 .,.
6
72 ...
20.7
7 Fyzabad
•-•
•..
... 137
40
97.0 79.6 29 314
6 169 175 164 ...
11
175
7 145 152 141
...
11
152 ...
25.5
8 Benares
...
•••
... 120
52
66.3 47.7 53 136
6 115 121
105
2
14 121
11
75
86
78 ...
8
86 ...
10.6
9 Moradabad...
• • • . . .
91
18
63.7 46.6
8
68 ...
33
33
32 ...
1
33
1
35
26
32 ...
4
36 ...
3•4
10 Ránikhet
•••
•••
...
83
47
54 5 50.9
3 254
6 151
157 151
..
6 157
6 103 109 107
. . . .
2 109 ...
15.9
11 Sháhjahánpur ...
•..
...
73
27
43.2 39.7
60 200
2 135 137 132 ...
5 137
1
65
66
53 ...
13
66 ...
12.2
12 Chakráta
...
•••
...
43
28
31.6 31.6 ...
52 ...
18
18
18 ...
. . .
18 •••
28
28
28 ...
...
28
. . .
1.4
Jhánsi
•••
•••
•••
13
39
11
26.8 26.5
3
19 ...
14
14
14 ..,,
...
14
1
22
23
20 ...
3
23 ...
2.5
14 Naini Tal
•.•
•..
•••
42
27
25.9 18 4 26 123
. . .
105 105 102 ...
3 105
1
17
18
18 ...
. . .
18 ...
4•8
15 Roorkee
• •
• • •
• •
69
38
28.5 27.8
6
37
3
31
34
34 ...
...
34
1
6
7
7
. . .
...
7
. . .
1.6
16 Muttra... ... ...
23
10
14.8 14.8 ...
32 ...
27
21
27 ...
...
27 ...
5
5
5 ... ...
5 ...
1.3
17 Sitapur
•••
•..
•••
196 130 107 .8 74.8 62 304
10 259 269 262 ...
7 269 ...
45
45
44 ...
1
45 314 11.8
Total 1878
... 2,172 884 1350.2 1067.8 929 3,592
93 2,334 2,421 2,387
4 136 2,527
62 1,222 1,274 1,153 ...
131 1,284 314
2 5 3 . 4
Total of 1877
...
1 , 8 8 1
657 1202.7 998.6 1,176 3,074 119 2,217 2,336
2 , 2 0 0 1 135 2,336
68 857 925 845
. . . 76 925 3,216 191.4
29
No. II.—Annual return of expenditwre incurred in the lock-hospitals of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh for the year 1878.
Num-
ber.
Lock-hospital at
Pay of medical
officer.
Pay of establish-
ment.
All other expenses.
Total.
Paid by Govern-
ment.
Paid from canton-
ment or other funds.
Total.
RECEIPTS.
Tines realized.
Rs. a. p.
Rs. a. p.
Rs. a. p
Rs. a. p.
Rs. a. p.
Rs. a. p.
.
Rs. a. p.
Rs. a. P
.
1 Cawnpore
...
1,200 0 0
648 0 0
1,626 6 0
34,74 6 0
1,768 12 3
1,705 9 9
3,474 6 0
32 7 0
2 Lucknow
...
1,200 0 0
1,200 0 0
871 9 8
3,371 9 8
...
3,371 9 8
3,371 9 8
...
3 Agra
...
1,200 0 0
1,008 0 0
1,804 4 4
4,012 4 4
2,128 4 4
1,884 0 0
4,012 4 4
41 4 0
4 Allahabad
...
1,200 0 0
600 0 0
1,323 15 7
3,123 15 7
. . . 3,123 15 7
3,123 15 7
15 12 0
5 Bareilly
...
1,200 0 0
396 0 0
1,031 2 6
2,627 2 6
. . . 2,627 2 6
2,627 2 6
2 4 12 0
6 Meerut
...
1,200 0 0
732 0 0
628 14 9
2,560 14 9
. . . 2,560 14 9
2,560 14 9
64 4 0
7 Fyzabad
...
1,200 0 0
720 0 0
1,150 8 8
3,070 8 8
. . . 3,070 8 8
3,070 8 8
. . .
8 Benares
...
1,200 0 0
576 0 0
1,092 13 9
2,868 13 9
2,802 6 5
66 7 4
2,868 13 9
21 0 0
9 Moradabad...
600 0 0
348 0 0
237 14 4
1,185 14 4
1,185 14 4
. . .
1,185 14 4
. . .
10 Ránikhet
. . .
600 0 0
612 0 0.
1,159 1 5
2,371 1 5
2,251 1 5
120 0 0
2,371 1 5
9 8 0
11 Sháhjahánpur
...
600 0 0
768 0 0
409 3 4
1,777 3 4
. . . 1,777 3 4
1,777 3 4
37 13 0
12 Chakráta
...
183 3 7
140 12 10
427 1 0
751 1 5
751 1 5
. . .
751 1 5
. . .
13 Jhánsi
...
240 0 0
180 0 0
180 6 0
600 6 0
597 12 0
2 10 0
600 6 0
...
14 Naini Tal
...
600 0 0
564 0 0
358 7 3
1,522 7 3
1,522 7 3
...
1,522 7 3
3 10 0
15 Roorkee
...
600 0 0
324 14 0
183 0 9
1,107 14 9
867 14 9
240 0 0
1,107 14 9
3 0 0
16 Muttra
...
162 14 5
131 9 7
64 12 0
359 4 0
. . . 359 4 0
359 4 0
. . .
17 Sitapur
...
600 0 0
624 0 0
396 7 6
1,620 7 6
...
1,620 7 6
1,620 7 6
. . .
Total
...
13,786 2 0
9,573 4 5
13,046 0 10
36,415 7 3
13,875 10 2
22,529 13 1
36,405 7 3
253 6 0
Total of 1877
...
13,870 0 0
9,648 11 0
8,809 8 3
32,328 3 3
12,050 4 9
20,277 14 6
32,328 3 3
447 3 0
(30)
( 31 )
•
No.III...Statement of average expenditure incurred in the lock...hospitals of the
.North...Western Provinces and Oudh during the year 1878.
N u m b e r
Lock...hospital at
Total
e x p e n d i t u r e .
A v e r a g e n u m b e r o f w o m e n o n t h e r e g i s t e r d u r i n g t h e y e a r
A v e r a g e n u m b e r a t t e n d i n g f o r e x a m i n a t i o n N u m b e r o f c a s e s o f d i s e a s e d i s c o v e r e d a n d t r e a t e d
Average expenditure.
F o r e a c h w o m e n r e g i s t e r e d
F o r e a c h w o m e n r e g i s t e r e d a n d e x a m i n e d
F o r e a c h c a s e o f d i s e a s e t r e a t e d .
Rs. a. p
Rs. a. p. Rs. a. p Rs. a. p .
1 Cawnpore
...
. . . 3,474 6 0
161
145
495 21 9 3 23 15 4 7 0 3
2 Lucknow
...
. . . 3,371 9 8
134
98
525 25 2 6 34 6 5 6 6 9
3 Agra ...
...
. . 4,012 4 4
90
86
273 44 9 3 46 10 5 14 11 1
4 Allahabad
...
. . . 3,123 15 7
132
95
403 22 15 6 32 14 1 7 12 0
5 Bareilly
...
. . . 2,627 2 6
109
103
208 24 1 7 25 8 1 12 10 1
6 Meerut
...
. . . 2,560 14 9
107
83
149 23 7 1 30 3 7 16 13 4
7 Fyzabad
...
. . . 3,070 8 8
97
90
314 31 10 5 38 6 1 9 12 5
8 Benares
...
..., 2,868 13 9
66
48
136 43 7 5 59 12 3 21 1 6
9 Moradabad
..
. . .
1.185 14 4
64
47
68 18 8 5 25 3 8 17 7 0
10 Ránikhet
...
. . . 2,371 1 5
54
51
254 43 14 6 46 7 10 9 5 4
11 Sháhjahánpur
...
. . . 1,777 3 4
43
40
200 41 5 3 44 6 10 8 14 2
12 Chakráta
...
. . .
751 1 5
32
32
52 23 7 6 23 7 6 14 7 1
13 Jhánsi
...
. . .
600 6 0
27
26
19
1 13 7 1 14 9 2 10 1
14 Naini Tal
...
. . . 1,522 7
3
26
18
123 58 8 10 84 9 3 12 6 0
16 Roorkee
...
. . . 1,107 14 9
28
28
37 29 9 2 29 9 2 29 15 1
16 Muttra
...
. . .
359 4 0
15
15
32 23 15 0 23 15 0 11 3 0
17 Sitapur
...
. . . 1,620 7 6
108
75
304
. . .
. . .
Total
. . . 36,405 7 3
1,293 1,080 3,592 29 4 1 34 15 4 10 9 3
Total of 1877
. . . 32,328 3 3 1,202
998 3,071 26 14 4 32 6 2 10 8 5
No. IV....Statement showing the prevalence of venereal discase amongst soldiers of the
European garrisons of the North...Western Provinces and Oudh during the past
five years.
N u m b e r .
Station .
Daily average
of European
garrison
in.1878
Admissions to
hospital for
venereal dis
...ease in 1878.
Ratios of ad
...missions to
1,000 of
strength in
1878.
Ratios of ad
...missions to
1,000 of
strength in
1877.
Ratios of ad
...missions to
1,000 of
strength in
1876.
1 Cawnpore
. . .
815
247
303.0
212·3
201·9
2 Lucknow
. . .
2,324
678
291·7
152 9
257·2
3 Agra
. . .
1,023
406
396·8
259·8
91·6
4 Allahabad
. . .
1,031
365
354·0
185·4
177.0
5 Bareilly
. . .
679
145
213·4
142·4
89 4
6 Meerut
. . .
1,481
36o
243·0
143·8
84.2
7 Fyzabad
. . . .
756
148
195·7
15·09
243.0
8 Benares
524
175
333 9
478·8
479.0
9 Moradabad
. .
184
69
373 9
114 6
97 6
10 Ránikhet
.
1,019
477
468.1
381.1
52.4
11 Sháhjahánpur
. . .
372
124
333.3
304 9
223. 6
12 Chakráta
. . .
717
116
161.7
98.3
112.3
13 Jhánsi
. . .
414
78
188.4
89.11
184.9
14 Naini Tal
. . .
225
42
186.6
255.2
141.0
15 Roorkee
. . .
447
117
261.7
65.6
123.7
16 Muttra
. . .
318
71
223 2
95.5
132.0
17 Sitapur
. . .
513
171
333.3
249.13
299.34
Total
. . .
12,842
8,789
626.7
446.16
469.42
No.243/51 OF 1879.
From
THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
N.-W. PROVINCES AND OUDH,
To.
Dated Naini Tal, the 28th August, 1879.
.I
AM directed to forward, for the information of
the annual report on the working of the lock-
hospitals in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh for the year 1878.
2.. The table of results at page 19 (the first 87 paras. are devoted to
resumés of the committees' reports) discloses a very unsatisfactory state of
things. As compared with 1877, expenditure on these institutions in-
creased by about 13 per cent., while the other results are as under ..-
Average of registered women
...
1877.
1878. Percentage of
increase.
1,203
1,350
+12.5
Admission of troops to hospital ...
2,591
3,789
+46.3
Ratio of cases per 1,000 soldiers ...
197
295
+50
From beginning to end the verdict—by those most interested in the
management—is unfavorable. There were more women on the register
by 12 per cent.; the expenditure was 13 per cent. higher ; and yet the
ratio per 1,000 of men admitted to hospital for venereal disease shows an
increase of 50 per cent. While Chakráta, Jhánsi, Naini Tal, and Fyzabad
are said to have been the most successfully worked, an increase of disease
is found everywhere, except in Naini Tal, where troops are not constant
- l y s t a t i o n e d .
3. The Sanitary Commissioner considers that the scarcity which
prevailed is the real cause of this special ill-success in the year's working ;
and it would certainly seem that under the pressure of want many women
of the poorer classes, who are not registered prostitutes, and who are be-
lieved to have been more or less diseased, did prostitute themselves to the
soldiers. But if this of itself is obviously insufficient, other reasons are
not wanting. There was a relaxation of restrictions, apparently, on the
part of the local Military authorities, in consequence of which soldiers
(with the exception of one regiment mentioned in para. 95) found little
difficulty in cohabiting with unregistered women. To this must be added
the unfavorable circumstances of the year. The war necessitated a great
deal of marching and moving ; and this, while aggravating disease, gave
more than the usual opportunities for soldiers to indulge in cohabitation
with other than registered women—opportunities which, owing apparent-
ly to a dislike to cohabit with the the latter, are readily seized. And as
the disease was found to be more rife and more virulent among the casual
( 3 )
tered women in hospital could secure immunity from disease, immunity
would unquestionably be secured. As regards expenditure, attention was
lately drawn to the necessity of economy in management ; and although
the expenditure this year (1878) increased considerably, the increase was
due to causes beyond the power of the officers concerned to check, viz.,
dearness of provisions and a larger number of admissions. It is import
ant that this fact, viz., that it is not the management of the hospitals that
is at all to blame for the miserable results of the year, be clearly recog
nised. His Honor's own opinion is, and it is supported by such facts as
decrease of syphilis in Sháhjahánpur, and the mildness of the type of
disease in Cawnpore and Moradabad, that if the soldier had access only
to registered women, the results would be very satisfactory.
6. In his 102nd para. Surgeon-Major Planck summarises, under 12
heads, the chief points claiming attention in the 1878 report. Some of
these are purely local, others involve questions of practice and principle.
In regard to these I am to note briefly as under :—
(1) The city women in Cawnpore can only be on the cantonment
register, because they are visited by soldiers; and that being the case, the
cantonment funds must bear the cost.
(2) and (3) These are questions the decision of which rests with the
Military authorities.
(4) This point is referred to in para.12 of the letter from this office,
No. 700A., dated 9th August, 1878, to the address of the Government of
India, Home Department.
(5) This also has been discussed in the same letter from this office to
the Government of India, vide para. 12. I am to refer to what was then
said on the subject.
(6) This is a local question for the committee in communication
with the Quartermaster-General to decide.
(7) This raises a question which the Military authorities alone are
competent to deal with. This Government drew attention (last sentence
of clause c, para. 14 of G. 0. No. 700A.) to the necessity for making
soldiers, who transgressed the rules and cohabited with an unregistered
woman, suffer regimentally. The reference in para. 32 of the report
is to any case of a soldier suffering from syphilis ; but His Honor can
not agree that it would be fair to impose such a penalty in all cases ;
such punishment should only follow cases of disease contracted from
unlicensed women. It might not be easy always to ascertain this ; but
in many cases it could, and to impose a penalty in such would be to a
certain extent a deterrent.
(8) As to this, vide para. 42 of the Sanitary Commissioner's report,—
The Magistrate's suggestions, as to the constitution of the lock-hospital
committee, do not commend themselves to the Lieutenant-Governor and
Chief Commissioner ; but this is a matter for the Military Department to
decide. No reason is given why both the Cantonment Magistrate and the
District Magistrate should not be on the committee. No advantage would,
( 4 )
in His Honor's opinion, be secured by excluding them, if a committee is to
be kept up as at present.
(9) This is for the committee to decide.
(10) Certainly the lock-hospital ought, if possible, to be in can
tonments rather than in the city of Moradabad. This point is one for
the committee to take action on, in communication with the Quarter,
master-General.
(11 and 12) These are purely local questions, to be dealt with by
the committees under the orders of the Military Department.
7. Two other points in the report are noticeable, and attention is
invited to them.
Para. 15.—From this it would appear that it is customary (though
the Cantonment Magistrate contradicts it, see para. 20) to arrest and
examine unlicensed women suspected of prostitution with soldiers. If
so, the procedure is illegal ; and His Honor does not think that to
legalise it would be an advantage. Such a course would be sure to lead
to worse abuses. Mere suspicion on the part of a policeman is not suffi
cient ground to go on.
Para. 31.—The Cantonment Magistrate of Allahabad seems to
have been unnecessarily lenient in regard to inflicting punishment for
unauthorised absence of women from inspection. If presence at ins
pection is not insisted on, inspection becomes a useless formality.
8. In conclusion, there is no doubt that the report of 1878 is a
melancholy chronicle of failure, the causes of which have been well summed
up by Dr. Planck. Distress increased the number of women ready to pros
titute themselves for almost nothing ; while soldiers seem to have evinced
the utmost recklessness of the risk of contracting disease, and to have done
all they could to thwart and defeat the measures taken for their protection.
The opportunities for meeting unlicensed women are numerous, and they
are eagerly seized. The police, on the other hand, are too weak to prevent
the soldier having intercourse with whom he likes. The rules have done
little good, except to the registered women ; and the results generally might
almost be held to point to the conclusion that the attempt to protect an
unwilling soldiery, by measures of repression which they do everything to
thwart, should be relinquished. If repression is to be successful, the mea
sures enforcing it must be much sterner than they now are. His Honor
cannot but think that quite as much would be accomplished without the
elaborate system of registration, inspection, and control by a committee—
by holding every Officer Commanding a regiment responsible for the con
dition of his men, and giving him full power to take in regard to them such
measures as, wisely exercising his discretion, he finds necessary. Every
cantonment might still have its lock-hospital to which women diseased
might find admittance for treatment; but registration and inspection might
be abolished, the committee done away with, and the dealing with the men
left entirely in the hands of the Commanding Officer. The Government has
gone far enough in the way of punishing the women who yield to soldiers'
lusts. It is the soldier himself that should be improved; and a Commanding
( 5 )
Officer, actively interesting himself in his men, can do more for this object
than any other agency.
I have the honor to be,
SIR,
Your most obedient servant,
C. ROBERTSON,
Secretary to Government,
N.- W. Provinces and Oudh.
No. 246.
COPY; with copy of report, forwarded to the Sanitary Commissioner
with the Government of India, for information.
No. 247.
Copy, with copy of report, also forwarded to the Surgeon-General,
British Medical Service, for information.
No. 248.
Copy, with copy of report, also forwarded to the Surgeon-General,
Indian Medical Department, for information.
No. 249.
Copy, with copy of report, also forwarded to all Commissioners of
Divisions, North-Western Provinces and Oudh (except Rae Bareli), for
information.
No. 250.
Copy, with copy of report, also forwarded to the Presidents of Can
tonment Committees in these Provinces, for information and communi
cation to the Medical Officer in charge of the hospital.
No. 251.
Copy, with copy of above endorsements only, forwarded to the Sani
tary Commissioner and Superintendent-General of Vaccination, North-
Western Provinces and Oudh, in reply to his No. 50, dated 17th May last,
with the remark that he is quite right to bring forward prominently points
n e e d i n g o r d e r s ; b u t h e s h o u l d n o t mi x u p q u e s t i o n s o f d e t a i l a n d q u e s t i o n s
of principle.
R. SMEATON,
Junior Secretary to Government,
N.- W.P r o v i n c e s a n d O u d h .
SANITATION 1879 DEP
From
The Secretary to Government;
N.-W. Provinces and O u d
To
Dated the 28th August, 1879
.
Received
No.
Enclosure
s Spare c o p i
es
FORWARDS, with remarks, the annual report of,
the working of the lock-hospitals in the North
Western Provinces and Oudh for the year 1878.