( 3 )
and get out of the way for the Railway. In this event, it is to be hoped that a
more decent and less conspicuous site may be selected for the accommodation of
the prostitutes requiring medical treatment for venereal disease. The number
of registered women remains at twenty-five (twenty admissions on the list having
taken the place of twenty removals from it). There were forty-five admissions
into the Lock-hospital, the admissions for 1874 having been forty-seven. Of six
women apprehended and brought before the Magistrate, five were punished by
short terms of imprisonment, and one reprimanded. Three unregistered women
were apprehended and found to be diseased. The increase in venereal disease in
persons of the male sex admitted into the hospital would appear by a casual
remark of the Medical Officer to be from forty-five to seventy-five.
General Remarks.—In more than one of the reports sent up will be found noticed
that, besides the common whores who ply their trade openly in brothels and other
places, there is a great deal of private prostitution carried on both by natives of
India and also Burmese women, and this it appears to be difficult to deal with, so
as to get those practising it to submit to registration and to periodical medical
examination, and this state of things seems to be deprecated by the Officers res-
ponsible for the management and supervision of the hospitals. The several
reports were received as below :—
Hospitals at
Report by whom submit-
- ted.
Date of report.
Forwarding letters by
Number and date.
Rangoon
.. S ur g e o n-M ajor Hugh
Griffith.
31st January 1876 Town Magistrate
.. No. 6–35, dated the 8th Feb-
ruary 1876 ; received, 14th
February 1876.
Bassein
.. Surgeon Oswald Baker ..
6th February 1876 Deputy Commissioner,
Bassein.
Nos. 8-9 and 8-11, dated
the 10th and 11th Febru-
ary 1876; received, 14th
February 1876.
Henzada
..
..
..
..
Deputy Commissioner,
Henzada.
No. 19-6, dated the 3rd
January 1876; received,
11th January 1876.
Prome
• .
Honorary-Surgeon God-
bier.
1st January 1876 Deputy Commissioner,
Prome.
No. —, dated the 10th Feb-
ruary 1876 ; received, 14th
February 1876.
Thayetmyo .. Surgeon Croudace
.. 12th February 1876 Deputy Commissioner,
Thayetmyo.
No. —, dated the 15th Feb-
ruary 1876 ; received, 21st
February 1876.
The further delay in this Office has arisen from my absence up river, whence I
arrived only a week ago (6th March). I observe that the Chief Commissioner
complained last year that the report from Bassein was deficient in information
and interest. I observe that Surgeon Baker has endeavoured to correct this defect
this year at the risk of being found fault with, for going into too great detail on
a delicate subject like that of the present report. I would notice the evident
pains bestowed by Dr. Griffith upon this not the most pleasing part of his duties.
It is not owing to any want of attention on his part that the disease the Lock-
hospital seeks to assuage has gained head during 1875, but to a state of things
over which he has no power of control.
From the Commissioner of the Pegu Division, to the Officiating Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, British
Burma,—No. 403-41, dated the 20th March 1876.
I HAVE the honour to submit, herewith, as a Supplement to my Report on
Lock-hospitals for 1875, No. 364-41, of 13th instant, copy of letter No. 58-12,
of 14th instant, from the Deputy Commissioner, Bassein, conveying his remarks
on the report of the working of Lock-hospitals in his district.