3
(I). The weekly venereal returns from the Station
Hospital, showing the number of admissions of soldiers for
venereal disease, have been regularly received, and they are
very instructive.
In the final column of foregoing table, I have carefully eliminated all cases
contracted on the line of march into Delhi, and in other stations.
Looking at this column, I do not think one could require a more com-
plete illustration of the great benefit of the Contagious Diseases Act. The latter
was in force until the end of August, and its good effects would, in all pro-
bability, continue to a certain extent through the following month of September.
For eight Months of the year, then, we can say that the European soldier was
fully protected by the Act, and in the ninth month partly protected, and in the
three final months of the year he was unprotected.
The number of men diseased in these three únprotected months exceeds
the whole number diseased in the nine protected months ; or, in other words, the
admissions, month for month on an average, are three times greater in an un-
protected than a protected month.
(II).—Turning now to the comparative amount of disease amongst Euro-
pean troops in this and the previous four years, we have a
startling increase of the ratio per 1,000 over last year ; and
that this increase was entirely caused during the period of
non-working of the Contagious Diseases Act is conclusively proved from sub-
para. (I). Further, in this comparative statement, the exclusion of cases contracted
outside Delhi is not so necessary, as every year there are changes of troops in
garrison; and, therefore, all corps bringing diseases from other stations in pre-
ceding years would be shown in the tables. It is a point worthy of note,
too; that at Meerut and other stations the Act was discontinued from the same
date as at Delhi, and, therefore, the same uncontrolled condition of disease would
be in operation elsewhere; and that it was in operation is evidenced from the
large number of cases received from corps infected at other stations :
—
Comparative amount of disease from 1884 to 1888.
YEAR.
Average
strength.
Admission.
Ratio per
1,000.
1884
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
482.25
171
354.58
1885
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
462
105
227.27
1886
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
489
169
345.60
1887
...
...
...
...
478
168
351.46
1888
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
267
136
509.36
If the ratios of admissions had continued throughout the year the same
as during the eight fully protected months, from 1st January to 31st August, the
ratio per 1,000 would be 292.1, calculated by the number of men admitted out
of the average strength, which figures show a marked improvement on last
year. The records of the unprotected months, however, completely upset this
amelioration.
D.—There is a Cantonment Sub-Committee composed
as follows :—
The Officer Commanding British troops.
The Senior Medical Officer.
The Deputy Commissioner.
The District Superintendent of Police.
This Committee meets monthly and examines the books and accounts of the
Lock Hospital.
E.—The precautions taken against the spread of venereal disease were the
following up to the discontinuance of compulsory attend-
ance. All the public prostitutes, so far as is possible, were
.
Weekly returns from
Station Hospital and vene-
real disease among Euro-
pean soldiers.
Comparative amount of
venereal disease in this
and past year.
Cantonment Sub-Com-
mittee.
Precautions against
disease.