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ANNUAL REPORT of THE LOOK HOSPITAL SITABALDI
FOR THE YEAR 1878.
From J. W. Neill, Esq., Officiating Commissioner, Nagpur Division, to the Secre-
tary to the Chief Commissioner, Central Provinces,—No. 566, dated Nagpur,
the 6th February 1879.
In passing on the report on the Lock Hospital at Sitabaldi for the past year,
I have the honor to remark that it appears to me, no satisfactory conclusions of
any kind can be drawn from the tables and statements contained in the report.
It is clear that the register of prostitutes is imperfect—many names being kept
on the register, though the women no longer live at Sitabaldi. Whether the
actual number of prostitutes whose names are properly on the list is sufficiently
great, considering the number of soldiers at Sitabaldi, I cannot say, nor could I
say whether any prostitutes besides those whose names are on the register do
associate with the European soldiers. It seems moreover to me that the Lock
Hospital at Sitabaldi can never do much good. Its status has been reduced, and
I think it is only doubtful whether it ought not to be abolished altogether. It
is well known and admitted that at Kamptee, as well as other large military
stations, the greater part of the disease afflicting soldiers is not contracted from
professional prostitutes ; and at Sitabaldi soldiers have even more facilities than
at Kamptee for taking up with loose women who yet are not professional prosti-
tutes. Soldiers are often met on the Telenkheri road and in other directions
where low caste women of all kinds are readily met with ; and if even we were
to go the absurd length of bringing on the register every known prostitute in
Nagpur as well as Sitabaldi I do not think the soldiers would be much more
protected than they are now.
Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital Sitabaldi for the year 1878.
The building. described in last year's report has been used as the Lock hos-
pital for the first eleven months of this year, since
which time it has been closed and a Health Post
substituted. As I only took over charge at the beginning of the month, I am
unable to give any personal account of the building, but believe it was well
suited for the purpose. The examinations are now conducted in the Detail
Hospital which is far from convenient, but there is no other Government build-
ing available for the purpose.
Hospital building.
Change in the Medical charge.
The following Medical Officers have been in
charge of the Lock :—
Surgeon J. W. Strong, from 1st January to 8th March 1878.
T. Oughton, from 9th March to 22nd April.
,9
R. Warder, from 23rd April to 31st August.
.
R. H. Robinson, from 1st September to 3rd December.
1)
F. H. Blenkensop, from 4th December to 31st December.
The only European troops in the station consist of a detachment of the 33rd
Regiment D. W. 0. of a little under 50 in
strength, who are relieved from the Head-quarters
at Kamptee every month. The number of admissions on account of venereal
diseases amongst the above men has been as follows :—
Primary syphilis 9, secondary syphilis none, gonorrhœa 12, balanitis 1, and
condyloma 1. The admissions during the previous year were primary syphilis
7, secondary syphilis 2, gonorrhœa 5. From this it will be seen. that there has
been a considerable increase of venereal disease amongst these troops.
The weekly reports of venereal diseases have been regularly received.
Venereal disease among the European
troops.