MYSORE DIVISION.
67
Prostitutes.
British Troops.
A v e r a g e N u m b e r R e g i s t e r e d P r o s t i t u t e s .
Primary
Syphilis.
S e c o n d a r y S y p h i l i s .
G o n o r r h œ a .
D e a t h s i n H o s p i t a l .
A v e r a g e n u m b e r B r i t i s h
Troops.
Primary
Syphilis.
Secondary
Syphilis.
G o n o r r h o e a .
N u m b e r o f c a s e s T r e a t e d .
R a t i o p e r 1 , 0 0 0 .
N u m b e r o f c a s e s .
N u m b e r o f c a s e s .
N u m b e r .
N u m b e r o f c a s e s .
R a t i o p e r 1 , 0 0 0 .
N u m b e r o f c a s e s . R a t i o p e r 1 , 0 0 0 .
N u m b e r o f c a s e s . R a t i o p e r 1 , 0 0 0 .
1873 Remaining... 85
.
.
Registered in 42 77.01 202 2623. 29 39 151 9 1793 122 68.04
None reported,
but said
by
Deputy Surgeon-
General, B.M.S., to the large.
123 68.60
1874
R e m a i n i n g . . . 8 5
Registered in 49
9 7 . 2 5
151
1 5 5 6 . 7 0 37 124 19 1679¼ 179 106.6
Do.
85 44.6
1875 Remaining ... 104
Registered in 26 8 5 .
117 1376.40 14 109 7 1650 110 66.6
39 23.6
133 80.6
1876 Remaining ... 68
Registered in 24
76
61 802.63
4
93 2 1673
45 26.89 24 14.34 84 50.20
This table shows that primary and secondary syphilis has been much less prevalent among
the prostitutes and among the British troops at Bangalore during the year under review than
in any of the previous three years. It shows also that while only 65.50 per mille of the cases of
primary syphilis among the prostitutes were followed by secondary syphilis, 523.30 per mille
of similar cases among the troops were followed by constitutional disease.
The report of the lock hospital at Bellary is carelessly drawn up. The tabular statement
at page 3, which professes to show the annual decrease of venereal disease among the women,
is unintelligible in the absence of any explanation as to what ratio the figures indicate. It
seems to be also incorrect, as the average strength during the year 1876 is given at 5,631, while
in the Statement No. 2 attached to the report it is shown to have been 80.25. According to
Statement No. 2 the admissions for primary syphilis in the Bellary lock hospital were in the
proportion of 598.13 per 1,000 of strength, and there appears to have been no admission for
secondary syphilis. Among the troops at the same station (if the return can be trusted) the
admissions for primary syphilis were at the rate of 153.94 and for secondary syphilis 16.85 per
1, 000 of st r engt h dur i ng ' t he per i od of occupat i on' ; i n ot her wor ds, not qui t e 11 per cent of pr i mar y
cases were followed by secondary symptoms, while in Bangalore more than half of the primary
cases had these sequences. This may be placed more clearly before the eye in the following
table :—
Stations.
Prostitutes.
European Troops.
Primary
Syphilis.
Ratio per
1,000 of
Strength.
Secondary
Syphilis.
Ratio per
1,000 of
Strength.
Primary
Syphilis.
Ratio per
1,000 of
Strength.
Secondary
Syphilis.
Ratio of
Admissions
per 1,000 of
Primary
Syphilis.
Bangalore ...
...
...
802.63
65.50
26.39
523.30
Bellary
•••
•••
•••
598.13
Nil.
153.94
104.50
The extraordinary disparity in their liability to secondary syphilis between the men and
t h e w o me n . w h i c h t h i s t a b l e i l l u s t r a t e s , ma y p e r h a p s b e p a r t l y a c c o u n t e d f o r b y mi s t a k e n
diagnosis in the case of the women, who have probably in many instances been credited with
primary, when they were suffering from secondary ulcers. While some medical men would
enter every sore on the genitals of a prostitute as a case of primary syphilis, others refuse to
admit that the constitution can be affected more than once by this disease. The same ulcer
would be classed under a different category according to the view on the subject held by the
examining officer, and it is desirable, I think, that some approach to uniformity should be
sought in a general rule or instruction bearing on this point.
As already mentioned, a female detective was added last year to the Special Police Agency
for working the rules in Bangalore. There is no dhaie employed at Bellary.
The Medical Officer's duties towards the prostitutes are limited by the walls of the lock
hospital. Beyond them the police have complete sway. According to my experience, those
duties are efficiently performed, although, in the case of Bellary, somewhat more care is required
in the preparation of the annual report. Whatever shortcomings, therefore, may exist in the