Registration
fees.
Whether
women have
been regular
at the periodi
-
cal examina
-
tion.
Arrang
e-ments for
conducting
the examina
-
tion.
58
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF MADRAS.
President.
The Brigadier-General Commanding Ceded Districts.
Members.
The Collector and Magistrate of the District.
The Officer Commanding the British Regiment at Bellary.
The Senior Medical Officers of the Indian and British Services.
The Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General.
The Executive Engineer.
The District Superintendent of Police.
The Cantonment Magistrate, Secretary.
Special
measures for
the control
of prostitutes
and especially
for preventing
the danger of
unlicensed
prostitutes
frequenting
the lines.
Special measures for the control of prostitutes and especially for preventing the danger of
unlicensed prostitutes frequenting the lines.— In Bangalore there is a special detective agency,
consisting of 5 constables, and 1 European chief constable who looks after the special constables
in addition to his ordinary work. This is admitted on all hands to be quite insufficient for the
purpose, and at the last meeting of the Lock Hospital Committee it was recommended that the
detective agency should be largely increased. Two European chief constables are also detailed
by the Assistant Superintendent of Police to visit all soldiers admitted into hospital for venereal
disease, and to endeavour to ascertain from them where and from whom they contracted the
disease. In Bellary 1 head constable and 3 constables are employed to look after the women and
to see that the rules are not violated. Both in Bangalore and Bellary the regimental authorities
employ their own men to look after the morality of the barracks and keep away improper
characters.
How far the
registration
has been
efficient, to
what classes
it extends,
and over what
area.
How far the registration has been efficient, to what classes it extends, and over what area. —In
Bellary 47 names were added to the register during the year and 58 were removed from it,
leaving a diminution of 11 as compared with the beginning of the year. As many as 35 women
absconded from the hospital. In fact it is so easy to get out that no woman who dislikes the
hospital need remain in it. The wall is too low, and any person can get over the wooden gate,
from which the spikes (of wood) that ornamented the top have been removed, perhaps for firewood.
This appears to me a sufficient explanation of the number of evasions from this hospital, without
having recourse to the theory of the Cantonment Magistrate that it was due to the cruelty and
vindictiveness of the Hospital Assistant attached to the hospital. This theory was suggested by
the women themselves, who, when brought before him for punishment, naturally endeavoured to
obtain a mitigation of it by representing themselves as involuntary offenders, driven to embrace
the lesser of two evils. The Hospital Assistant, however, bears a very high character, and the
Medical Officers under whom he has served have expressed complete confidence in him.
The area of registration in Bellary and in Bangalore is 14 square miles, which takes in the
outlying villages in the neighbourhood. In Bangalore 124 names were registered during the
year and 128 removed from various causes, leaving 103 at the end of the year, or 4 less than
at its commencement. 104 women absconded, but not from the hospital, from which there was
no evasion; 6 died in hospital and 5 outside. In both stations registration is compulsory only
on those women who consort with European soldiers.
Registration fees. —No registration fees are exacted at either station.
Whether women have been regular at the periodical examination. —In Bangalore the attendance
on the part of the older prostitutes who had been on the register some years was regular, but
the newly enrolled women were very irregular in their attendance. Of these 113 were reported
for that cause to the Police. In Bellary 359 were reported to the Magistrate during the year for
non-attendance, 6 were fined, and several (but how many is not stated) imprisoned.
Arrangements for conducting the examination. —The arrangements for conducting the
examination and for treating the women are satisfactory in both hospitals.
How far
disease has
increased
among the
women. To
what extent
it has become
less virulent,
and its nature
as compared
with that
among men.
How far disease has increased among the women. To what extent it has become less
virulent, and its nature as compared with that among men .—Under the influence of famine and
general destitution numbers of women flocked into both stations from the surrounding country
and eked out a livelihood by prostitution. These women in many instances brought disease with
them, and when detected by the Police, or disabled by illness from continuing their trade, they
took out licenses, and thus added to the admissions into the lock hospitals. The disease has
been comparatively mild and amenable to treatment among those who have been on the register
some time, but severe and often intractable in unregistered women and in those who had but
recently taken out licenses.
The following comparative statement will illustrate its nature in the women and in the
men:—