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From the Deputy Commissioner, Thayetmyo, to the Commissioner of the Pegu Division,—dated 15th
February 1879.
DR. OSWALD BAKER, the Civil Surgeon of Thayetmyo, was in charge of the lock-hospital
from the 1st January to 12th December, when he was relieved by Dr. Hazlett, Medical
Officer to the 32nd Regiment M. N. I.
2. The buildings are in good repair, and are the same as those reported on last year-
The cook-house for the lock-hospital ward is in course of erection.
3. The number of registered prostitutes for the past three years is shewn below.-
1876.
1877.
1878.
16
34
23
4. The area over which the rules have effect is put down at 196 square miles, with a
population of 38,237, of whom 619 are European soldiers. The system, however, has
practically effect only in the town and cantonment at Thayetmyo, the native population of
which is 12,577.
5. The area has been made to include Allanmyo, Yuatoung, and adjacent hamlets on
the opposite side the Irrawaddy river, apparently because there are temporary barracks at
Allanmyo, to which European soldiers are sent in case any epidemic disease breaks out
on the Thayetmyo side ; but no troops were sent over there on this account during the
year of review, and, practically, the system only applies to Thayetmyo ; but even within this
restricted space it cannot be supposed that the number of prostitutes on the register
accurately represents the number who actually ply their trade.
6. The Assistant Commissioner in charge of the town (who is also the Cantonment
Magistrate), the Civil Surgeon in charge of the lock-hospital and jail, and the Superin-
tendent of police—to whom may be added the Medical Officers in charge of the Royal
Artillery, the Commanding Officers of the European regiment and the Native Infantry
regiment here stationed—are all cognizant of the importance of getting the utmost utility
out of the institution ; but here, as elsewhere, the difficulty is to detect illicit prostitution.
7. The happy condition of the Burmese peasant, who can as a rule afford to have his
own wife and rear children, prevents the women of the country being driven to prostitution
as a necessity, and it is scarcely a profession a Burmese woman would seek from choice,
so that the relative number of prostitutes in a Burmese town may be expected to be less
than in towns on the continent of India and elsewhere ; but nevertheless, the number shewn
on the register cannot be admitted as correct. This doubt is almost confirmed by the fact
that none of the prostitutes shewn in the returns reside in the cantonments, and it is
scarcely credible that among the Madras native population, especially among the women
attached to the horse-keepers and grass-cutters who reside in cantonment, no prostitu-
tion exists.
8. The remarks contained in the report on the working of Lock-hospitals for 1877 were
circulated to the Superintendent of Police and to the Cantonment Magistrate and Civil
Surgeon ;.but no effectual means have been devised to cause the disclosure of unregistered
women.
9. No Sub-Committee has been initiated by the military authorities, nor have any mem-
bers been appointed to the Cantonment Committee. The Committee consist of the
officials of the station : Deputy Commissioner ; Assistant Commissioner ; Executive
Engineer ; Colonel Fulton, Officer Commanding : Dr. Johnson, Principal Medical Officer ;
Dr. Hazlett, Civil Surgeon. In last year's report it was recommended that some native
police should be associated with the Provost-Sergeant of the European regiment for the
detection of prostitutes ; but the proposal does not appear to have been carried out, nor do
I consider it is the right way to go to work. Dr. Hazlett, in the 3rd para. of his report
herewith forwarded, after making some deductions from the register, records the percentage
of diseased European soldiers to be 6 . 27,—about the same as in the previous year; and the
conclusion Dr. Hazlett arrives at is—if one may judge from the returns of venereal disease
of the British troops elsewhere—the system here appears to have been as efficient as could
be expected when the difficulties are taken into consideration. This may be true, but I