CALCUTTA LOCK HOSPITALS.
171
to make these figures accurate, and have drawn them from the hospital books
with the assistance of Dr. Moffat of the 14th Regiment. The ratio per cent.
on mean strength of garrison was 13 . 9 not 6·8, composed of 5 . 7 per cent. of
syphilis and 8·2 of gonorrhœa.
8. But the point to which I desire to draw special attention this year, as
it is the first opportunity that has arisen of illustrating it in Calcutta, is the
effect of the arrival of fresh troops; and for this purpose it is advisable to give
the distribution of disease through the several months of the year. It is as
follows. The head quarters 1-14th arrived in November 1871:—
Syphilis.
Gonorrhœa.
January
. . .
...
10
8
February
. . .
. . . 6
5
March
. . .
. . .
1 0
5
April
. . .
. . . 7
7
To establish the significance of these
figures, I would mention that up to
date in the current year there have been
only nine cases of local syphilis in the
garrison, although the cold weather
months are generally those of greatest
prevalence.
May
. . .
. . . 4
5
June
. . .
...
3
6
July
. . .
...
2
6
August
...
...
2
9
September
. . .
...
2
5
October
. . .
...
1
5
November
...
. . . 0
4
December
. . .
. . . 1
4
Total
...
4 8
6 9
_
These figures will be found to differ from those presented in the Military
Department, and to the Sanitary Commissioner, inasmuch as the latter will
include all secondary cases, and those admitted on the arrival of drafts and
detachments. Of these last the number was large this year; some contracted in
England, some at Cawnpore, at Allahabad, at Barrackpore, and Dum-Dum.
9. I would next invite attention to the distribution of gonorrhœa through
the several months, as this has an important bearing on the practice of the
lock-hospitals. It appears that Dr. Shircore, separating in his mind the
increase of gonorrhœa in the first half year from the general increase of
venereal disease, resolved to resume the abandoned practice of detaining in
custody indiscriminately all women having vaginal discharges after July.
In his 6th paragraph he states that in this manner there arose 675 cases of detention
in excess of the number of the previous year, In his 10th paragraph he points to
13 cases of gonorrhœa in the garrison between July and December, against 17
from January to June, which he regards as an ample justification of the
"measure;" that is to say, 4 cases of gonorrhœa prevented in six months,
he considers a good return for the custody of 675 women for an indefinite time.
The fact is, however, that instead of 17 and 13 in the two halves of the year,
the local cases of gonorrhœa were 36 and 33 respectively; but if this trifling
difference be attributable to the particular measure adopted, what shall be said
of the fall of syphilis from 40 cases in the first half year to 8 in the second,
and what of the unfavorable comparison between the gonorrhœa cases of the
last six months of 1872, and the corresponding period of 1871. It is satisfac
-
tory be furnished, for future guidance, with experimental proof on a large
scale of the practical inutility of unjust detention. I have accordingly lost no
time in liberating all women not known to be infectively diseased.
i
It is observable, since the operation of the Act has been felt in Calcutta, Increase of yenerea
disease m the
that every year there is greater prevalence of venereal disease in the months cola weather—
of cold weather than later ; though the accession has been much less, when calms'
,
the garrison has not been changed. That the soldiers import disease from other
1