(3
)
part the discrepancy ; but the only safe deduction from the figures is that the
control of prostitution is not efficient. The growing popularity of the hospital
may attract larger numbers each year ; but it will hardly exhaustively explain
an increase from 629 to 855 cases.
6. The registered women were as follow :—
Stations .
Average number
of women on
the register
Average attend-
•
dance at perio-
dical examina-
tions.
Number of cases
of absencefrom
examinations
during the year.
Number of cases
of absence re-
ported.
Rangoon
. . .
...
393.75
304.91
2,937*
51
Bassein
. . .
...
12.2
10.06
55
17
Prome
...
...
32.3
20.8
299
30
Thayetmyo
. . .
...
18.25
18.25
Nil.
23
Akyab
. . .
...
43.8
39.7
213
49
Moulmein
. . .
...
73.
5 9 .
742
101
Toungoo
...
...
11.39
10.9
26
3
These figures exhibit clearly the absurdity of the Thayetmyo returns. With no
absentees from the examinations, 23 cases of absence were reported. Such state-
ments render the reports, on which Government rely for information, worse than
useless. At Rangoon the laxity is extraordinary, and no rules or laws will avail any-
thing if such immunity from punishment is guaranteed to the breach of them.
The Chief Commissioner must insist on more energy being shown in this matter
by the officers who conduct the examinations. As to the efficiency of the regis-
tration, the following table will give some clue, though the more reliable one is
to be found in the cases of disease itself. It may be remarked that the columns
after Rangoon and Thayetmyo are left blank, as the statements forwarded from
those hospitals show a population of 412,970† for the former and of 94,000‡ for
the latter place. Such figures are scarcely to be relied on. The population of
Rangoon town in 1872 was 98,745, and of the town of Toungoo, 10,732. The out-
lying villages would scarcely raise these figures to 412,970 and 94,000 respec-
tively. In Prome, again, the converse mistake has been made ; the population
given by Mr. Goclbier is for the town only, and not for the protected area. The
proportions of registered women to population are as follow :—
Rangoon
...
...
Thayetmyo ...
. . .
... .06
Bassein
...
...
.05
Akyab
...
...
... .20
Prome
. . .
. . .
.10
Moulmein ...
...
... .11
Toungoo
...
...
At none of these places is there any claim for anything approaching perfec-
tion in registration. In Rangoon, where it is probably more extensive than else-
where, it is admitted that there is a deal of unlicensed prostitution known to the
authorities, but with which it is dificult to deal effectively. Whether this be
deference to a degraded public opinion, or national moral degeneracy of the inha-
bitants, the Chief Commissioner cannot tolerate its continuance. It is useless
applying rules of this nature with such patent facilities for evading them. Theo-
retical husbands in no way exempt women who prostitute themselves from the
application of the law, and as it is found that a large, if not the largest, proportion
of disease is contracted from creatures who rely on this plea, it behoves the officers
on whom this disagreeable duty falls to take instant measures for the control of the
evil. The registration at all places is badly conducted, and at Bassein and
Thayetmyo extremely so. Dr. Baker's pleading will not convince the Chief Com-
missioner that an average of 12 prostitutes is the allotment of a town like Bassein—
for many months of the year a busy seaport, and with 20,700 resident inhabitants.
If special police are needed for the effectual carrying out this work, arrange-
* There were 33 periodical examinations at Rangoon, 26 at Bassein, 26 at Prome, 52 at Akyab, 53 at Moulmein,
and 51 at Toungoo. A system which will secure more uniformity is clearly needed, and the number of these
examinations should always be noticed in the local reports. It does not appear to have been given in a single instance
in the reports of 1875.
† Since corrected by telegram to 25,462.
‡ Since explained as 88,092 ; but as this is less than the population of the town alone in 1872, it can hardly be
correct.