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vary from year to year. The attendance of the women at the periodical examina-
tions was good at Akyab, Thayetmyo, and Toungoo, indifferent at Bassein and
Moulmein, and bad at Rangoon. The Sanitary Commissioner should prescribe
the adoption of a uniform practice in recording the statistics of the attendance
of women for examination. For purposes of comparison the figures in the report
are useless. At Akyab, Moulmein, and Toungoo the proportion of women found
diseased was lower than in 1882 ; at other places the reverse was the case. At
Rangoon and Toungoo the, number of cases of disease was more than double the
average number of women on the register. The total number of admissions to
hospital was 1,228 as compared with 1,083 in 1882. Five hundred and twenty-six
women were prosecuted for breaches of the rules.
3. As regards the amount of protection afforded by the lock-hospitals and
the rules under which they are maintained, it appears that at Rangoon and
T h a y e t - m y o t h e r e w a s a d e c r e a s e i n t h e r a t i o o f a d m i s s i o n s t o h o s p i t a l o f p a t i e n t s
suffering from venereal disease to the strength of the European garrison, while at
Toungoo there was a considerable increase. An examination of the statistics
shows that at Rangoon the ratio of cases has fluctuated from year to year, 1881
giving the lowest and 1882 the highest ratio in the last five years. At Thayetmyo
the ratio has steadily increased since 1879 until the year under review, which gives
a lower ratio than any of the preceding four years. At Toungoo the ratio of
admissions has risen year by year since 1880. During the past year at Rangoon
nearly one-fifth and at Toungoo more than one-fourth of the European troops
suffered from venereal disease. Of 141 cases shown in the Rangoon returns 140
are said to have been locally acquired; while only 37 cases were locally acquired
at Thayetmyo, where the strength of the garrison is little less than at Rangoon.
The value of the returns for purposes of comparison is diminished by the fact that
in the Rangoon report no distinction is made between new cases and relapses,
while at Toungoo cases locally acquired are not distinguished from imported cases.
In the Chief Commissioner's Resolution on the lock-hospital report for 1882
attention was drawn to the necessity for distinguishing these cases. In future
these instructions should be observed. In Moulmein, Akyab, and Bassein there
are scarcely any materials for estimating the amount of protection afforded
by the lock-hospital regulations. As far as can be seen this protection is slight,
for the number of admissions to hospital of patients suffering from venereal
disease increased in each of these towns. The number of women on the registers
is very small in proportion to the population.
4. The voluntary abandonment of the control of these institutions by the
Municipal Committees of Rangoon and Moulmein once more brings before the
Chief Commissioner the consideration of the question whether the maintenance
of lock-hospitals is productive of any benefit, or whether the benefits derived are
in any way proportionate to the many and obvious objections which are brought
against the existence of these institutions and the enforcement of rules in connec-
tion with them. Enquiry into this matter as far as relates to the seaport towns was
made in 1880, when the Deputy Surgeon-General recommended that the hospitals
at Akyab and Bassein should be closed. In deference to the opinion expressed
by the local officers the Chief Commissioner agreed to maintain the hospitals
for the benefit of the seafaring visitors to the ports. At the same time special
orders were issued in. the Chief Commissioner's Resolution, No. 63M., dated the