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Remarks by the Deputy Commissioner, Prome, upon the Civil Surgeon's report on the Promos Lock-hospital
for the year 1879,—dated the 26th January 1880.
READ the report.
The only portion of the report which seems to require any remarks from me
is that under para. 17, where the Civil Surgeon recommends the " apprehension
" of unregistered prostitutes.''
Whatever may be the zest and ardour with which subordinate officials in
India hunt up women who practise prostitution, the fact remains that the
Burmese police have a strong objection to undertake such an unpalatable duty.
Bearing this in mind, it would in my opinion be most impolitic to force the police
to display greater energy in a quest of this sort, because such a course would
obviously imperil the liberty and the reputation of women who may be perfectly
innocent. I have on several occasions brought to the notice of the . Superinten
dent of Police the necessity for exercising an adequate .amount of supervision over
the prostitution which goes on in the town. Beyond a doubt not all, or nearly all,
the prostitutes are registered ; but if a woman denies that she is a prostitute, the
burden of proving that she is one lies on those who make the assertion, and this
too often turns out to be a most difficult matter.
The hospital returns show that syphilis has not prevailed in the town to any
serious extent : during the year there were 93 out-patients and only 10 in
patients suffering from this disease.
Taking both the above numbers, the proportion of syphilitic persons in the
town has been only a little over three per cent. of the population ; and even
then I suppose that the out-patients cannot be be regarded as seriously injured
persons.
Prome is not a town in respect to which the time has arrived for rigorously
enforcing the Contagious Diseases Act. We must control prostitution with
judicious leniency without offending the prejudices or irritating the suscepti
bilities of the people at large, and this I believe is very fairly done.
PROME.
THE lock-hospital is situated to the east of the old dispensary, and surrounded
by high wooden railings ; it faces the south, and is kept in a clean state. Ventila
tion by doors and windows and a ridge ventilator on the top. There are nine
doors, measuring 6 feet 11 inches by 3 feet 10 inches, and seven windows ; of
these seven, six of 3 feet by 4 feet and one of 21/2 by 3 feet. There is a central
ward, whose dimensions are 26 feet by 16 feet by 12 feet. The superficial area is
416 square feet and the capacity 4,992 cubic feet, capable of affording accommo
dation to six patients, allowing 69 . 3 square and 832 cubic feet for each. There
is one artificial drain around the building which opens into one of the town drains,
but the latter being on a higher level than the former, water does not find a free
outlet. The building is very old, but it is to be replaced by a new one on another
side near the civil dispensary; it will be a great improvement. As it is, it
is very near a public thoroughare, and being very far from the civil dispensary,
it entails greater expense in the way of keeping another Hospital Assistant and
a separate supply of medicines, &c., than would have otherwise been done.
The sanitary condition is good. The bath-room is an enclosed space in
the back verandah. The latrine is a small wooden building on wheels ; it is pro
vided with a seat, and a glazed pan is used underneath. The excreta are every
morning removed by the municipal cart, which conveys it to a distance for burial.
Tar is freely made use of.
Water is supplied from the river for bathing purposes.
Conservancy of the hospital is well attended to.
Water for drinking purposes is good and abundant, and is procured from
the river. Three chattie filters are made use of.
The hospital furniture is in a fair condition, but the bedding requires renewal.
The hospital is not liable to epidemics, &c.
No convalescent ward.
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