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From the Town Magistrate, Rangoon, to the Commissioner of the Pegu Division,—No. 17-10, dated the 6th
March 1878.
I HAVE the honour to submit the report of the Medical Officer in charge of the lock hos-
pital.
2. The increase in admissions into the lock hospital should not, I think, be looked
upon as unsatisfactory, for it is most probably due to more activity on the part of the In-
spector, who has been favourably reported on by the Assistant Magistrate, who remarks as
follows :-
Mr. Inspector Pusey has during the year earned my entire approbation by the indefatigable, careful, and.
judicious way in which he has performed. his duties, and I take this opportunity of strongly recommend-
ing him for promotion.
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3. From what I have noticed in former years, disease depends a good deal on the
female immigrants. I do not mean the Government immigrants, but the women who come
over here yearly from the coast of India, many of whom land here in a state of disease.
4. Mr. Jackson comments on the report as follows, and, as he has assisted me con-
siderably during the year in lock hospital duties, I quote the whole of his remarks : – —
The accommodation for natives being 66 beds only, and the average hospital population being within
a fraction of 104, I cannot see how the accommodation can be said to be quite sufficient.
I agree with Dr. Dundas that the women on the register do not by any means .represent the total
number of prostitutes in Rangoon. The condition of this town is very peculia.r There is a very
large class of Indian immigrants of the coolie class, the great majority of whom are living in irregular
and temporary connection with women of the same caste,—that known in Madras as the " pariah caste. "
These women are totally destitute for the most part of morality or modesty ; and I believe the great
majority of them have no objection to increasing their means by sly prostitution on suitable opportu
-nity. When in addition to this the extremely loose nature of sexual morality prevalent amongst the
Burmese population are considered, it will be seen that the enforcement of preventive measures in this
town is a work attended. with peculiar difficulties.
As it is, the work is so arduous that I quite agree with the Junior Civil Surgeon's remarks on
• the inadequacy of the present staff. I think the Inspector should be retained solely for this work, and
that he should have at least three or four constables to assist him.
There should also be a special contingent fund to meet the expense the Inspector is unavoidably
put to—gharry-hire, &c.— in tracing out and hunting down the women. As it is, he relies entirely upon
receiving his expenses out of the fines, and if, as often occurs, the fine is not paid, the Inspector re-
mains out of pocket, which is hardly fair on a 3rd class Inspector.
In making these remarks, I do not in the least wish to reflect on Mr. Inspector Pusey, That officer
lies during the year earned my entire approbation by the indefatigable, careful, and judicious way in
which he has performed his duties, and I take this opportunity of strongly recommending him for pro-
motion. But the duties of a lock hospital inspector are chiefly nocturnal, and it is manifestly im-
possible for him to be up all night hunting absconded prostitutes, and then at work all day as court
inspector in my court,
• The Junior Civil Surgeon has not, I see, stated the number of women not examined each month
owing to " unfitness. "-- a phrase which I believe means that they are at the time menstruating, The
Inspector tells me there has been a very large and singular increase in this class lately. I have already
written to you on this very unpleasant part of an unpleasant subject.
Lastly, as to escapes. The hospital wall is low and easily scaled. The building was until lately
close to a rookery of the worst class, the favorite residence of Rangoon pimps and bullies ; conse-
quently escapes by rope ladder have been of almost nightly occurrence.
This will continue until an outside guard is sanctioned, and I see no other means of preventing it ; but
the arrangement of these escapes is much. facilitated by the fact that the women are able from the bal-
cony freely to communicate with their friends in the street. I would suggest that the wall be raised, if
only on the grounds of public decency.
5. I quite agree with him in what he says on the subject of the Inspector's duties.
He ought not to be called on to perform other police duties, and, when the Inspector
was first appointed, I think it was intended that he should be exclusively on work connected
with the lock hospital, which, if he does well and thoroughly, will give him quite enough to do.
For any emergent police work he would of course be available. The attendance is shewn
to have been more irregular and much less in the months when the weekly examinations
took place instead of the fortnightly ones. The oftener the examinations, the greater the
d i f f i c u l t y . . w i l l b e c o m e i n f o r c i n g r e g i s t r a t i o n , f o r t h e r e i s n o d o u b t t h a t t h e w o m e n t r y t o
evade them in every possible way. The weekly examinations caused discontent, and led to
a large number of women absconding, which has a very evil effect on the outlying towns
and villages. Many went to Leppadan, Yandoon, Bassein, &c. Dr. Dundas points out
the insufficiency of the establishment, both medical and police. The former is a matter
for the consideration of the Deputy Surgeon-General ; but the latter I fully concur in.
The hospital was not as clean and well kept as I should like to see it; but this has been
satisfactorily explained by the Deputy Surgeon-General and Dr. Dundas, and is no
doubt attributable to the smallness of the establishment.
Annual report of the Rangoon Lock Hospital for the year 1877.
I.—Nature and extent of the hospital accommodation : whether it is suitable, and whether there
has been any alteration during the year.
THE building was fully described in last year's report . There has been no addition or
alteration during the year.