( 2 )
Toungoo.—Surgeon C. T. Rundle was in charge from the 1st January to 17th
February, and Surgeon R. Pemberton until the 31st December 1882.
Rangoon.—Surgeon-Major H. Johnstone, M.D., was in charge from the 1st
January to the 23rd March, Surgeon-Major D. Sinclair, M.B., from the 24th March
to the 23rd June, and Surgeon-Major Johnstone until the end of the year.
III.—The extent of venereal disease among European troops as shown by the weekly returns.
This information, as well as the ratio of sick per mille for the past quinquen-
nial period, is shown in the following statement :—
Stations.
Average
strength.
Number of ad-
missions for
venereal dis-
eases of all
forms.
R a t i o p e r m i l e .
Remarks.
1882.
1878.
1879.
1880.
1881.
1882.
Rangoon
...
666.58
150
145.24 184.51
216.69
164.17 225.03 Imported
cases ex-
cluded in
the figures
for 1878
only.
Thayetmyo
...
662
87
7 9 . 7 4
79.05
82.50
92.20 131.42
Toungoo
...
395.8
92
140.84
93.61
81.37
1 7 6 . 5 5
222.44
The ratios for 1882 are higher than the ratios of any of the preceding four
years and help to corroborate the view of the Sanitary Commissioner with the
Government of India that the lock-hospital system in this country is a failure.
In his eighteenth annual report the following passage occurs : —
" As pointed out in this office annual report for 1878, they " (the unfavourable results)
" may in some measure be accounted for by the increased youth of the army and by the
smaller proportion of married men, but, making every allowance for these factors, the failure
of the lock-hospital system is still most decided,"
Of the 150 admissions amongst the European troops for venereal disease at
Rangoon, 31 are reported to have contracted the disease elsewhere ; of the remainder,
84 were cases of primary syphilis, 11 of secondary, 21 of gonorrhoea, and 3 other
venereal diseases. There has been a marked increase compared with the previous
year in the syphilitic cases, both primary and secondary.
Of the 87 admissions at Thayetmyo, 26 are said to have been imported and
35 only as locally acquired ; the balance was re-admissions or, more correctly,
relapses. Of the total, 43 were cases of primary syphilis, 10 of secondary, and
34 of gonorrhoea
Of the 92 admissions at Toungoo, 49 were cases of primary syphilis, 9 of
secondary, 25 of gonorrhoea, and 9 of other venereal diseases. The large increase
in the number of primary syphilis is attributed by the Medical Officers to
importation by the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, which arrived in two detach-
ments,—one in the middle of January, the other on the 24th July. On the arrival
of the first party 6 cases were admitted, on the arrival of the second 11; and a few
days after others applied for relief.
Only 4 cases of venereal disease are recorded as having been under treatment
amongst the Native troops in Rangoon.
There were 9 cases of primary syphilis and three of gonorrhea amongst the
417 (average strength) sepoys stationed at Moulmein.
At Thayetmyo, with an average strength of 797, there were 6 cases of primary
syphilis, 1 of secondary, and 4 of gonorrhoea.
At Toungoo, with an average, of 736, there were 7 admissions for primary
syphilis and 2 for gonorrhoea.
These figures are extremely low compared with the same for the European
soldiers, but it is believed by Medical Officers that Natives conceal such ailments
and treat themselves, so that much reliance may not be placed on these data.