( 14 )
ing special cases to the notice of the Medical Officer, who visits daily and examines
all cases before discharge.
X.—How far disease has increased or decreased among, the women ; to what extent it has become less
virulent ; its nature as compared with that among the men; is there any relation between the two ;
how far the admissions amongst the women are due to non-venereal affections or to detention of women
during the monthly illness.
The following table will show. the number of admissions under the various
heads for each month during the year :—
Months.
P r i m a r y s y p h i l l s .
S e c o n d a r y s y p h i l i s .
G o n o r r h œ a
L e u c o r r h œ a S
B u b o .
U l c e r s a n d a b r a s i o n s o f o s u t e r i a .
O t h e r v e n e r e a l d i s e a s e s .
T o t a l .
January
...
33
2
15
17
. . .
11
1
79
February
. . .
...
36
9
23
12
...
7
1
88
March ...
. . .
40
4
23
15
...
3
4
89
April ...
...
...
32
8
26
11
...
5
2
84
May
...
...
..
19
2
11
11
1
7
2
53
June ...
...
...
46
8
12
7
...
11
4
88
July ...
...
...
17
4
16
9
...
4
3
53
August ...
...
17
4
25
26
...
10
7
89
'September
...
...
23
3
17
21
9
3
76
October
. . .
...
14
4
16
17
...
4
3
58
November
....
...
34
3
13
9
11
4
74
December
. . .
...
28
1
17
13
...
14
5
78
Total
...
339
52
214
168
1
96
39
909
The number of 'admissions during the year have been less than the previous
year and also than that of the three previous years, with the exception of 1879, as
may be seen as follows :—
1877.
1878.
1879.
1880.
1881.
Total admissions
...
950
941
805
1,129
909
At the same time the number of primary syphilis has greatly diminished :—
1877.
1878.
1879.
1880.
1881.
Primary syphilis
... 600
562
499
471
339
Thus the number of admissions from primary syphilis during the year under
review was 132 less than the previous year, or, in other words, there were 28 per
cent. fewer admissions from this disease than the previous year and only-39 more
than half the admissions in 1877. This shows the benefit the Act is to the women
themselves. There is also a great diminution in secondary syphilis, namely, 52,
against 191 of the previous year ; but there is an increase in gonorrhoea, 214, against
158 of the previous year.
The character of the disease during the year has been exceedingly mild ; the
majority of the cases have been the soft suppurating sore, and many of them,
if kept under observation for a few days, would be found simply abrasions. It is
impossible to tell at once whether a mere abrasion will become specific or not.
Numbers of them heal up in three or four days, which is not the case with the
specific sore. It is also noteworthy that during the year there was only one case
of bubo. The admissions into the hospital are greatly increased by uterine dis
charges. The greater number of admissions under this head. are limited to a few
women, who leave the hospital perfectly well to return again after a fortnight or
three weeks with the same disease ; again, many of these women are admitted into
the hospital four or five times during the year and some even oftener.
There were five deaths during the year, but none of these were entirely due
to the syphilitic disease, although probably affected constitutionally by it. The
immediate cause of death was an intermittent disease of dysentery or diarrhœa.