ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PACHMARHI LOCK HOSPITAL
FOR THE YEAR 1880.
The Lock Hospital is a hut with a bamboo matting enclosure, situated near
the Chuckla, and about 400 yards to the west of the Sudder Bazaar. It afforded
sufficient accommodation for 6 patients, but being in a very dilapidated condi
- t i o n f r o m t h e v e r y h e a v y r a i n y s e a s o n , a n d t h e s i t e o n w h i c h i t w a s b u i l t b e i n g
on a slope, it, the hospital, became quite uninhabitable both during and after the
rains. It was therefore proposed to change the site and to build on a point imme
- d i a t e l y i n t h e r i g h t r e a r o f t h e C h u c k l a o n a m o u n d o r h i l l o c k w h i c h , f o r s a n i t a r y
reasons, is far preferable to the site now occupied ; and again the old hospital was
considered much too large, as the greatest average of patients never exceeded 4
in hospital at a time.
2. Medical charge of the Lock Hospital was handed over to me by Assist
-ant Apothecary W. Weston on the 1st December 1879.
3. There were 44 admissions during the year from venereal disease. In
21 cases the disease was contracted on the plains, and the cases admitted on
arrival here. Most, or I might say all, were detected on medical inspection on the
day of arrival of the diseased men. Nine cases were re-admissions from gleet,
making a total of 30 from the plains ; and in the remaining 14 cases the disease was
contracted here. These were trivial cases of local venereal ulcers and gonorrhœa.
Of the 14 cases at this depot, there were a few who contracted the disease in the
jungles from unregistered prostitutes. This fact I have ascertained, from the
matron and registered prostitutes. On several occasions when men have pointed
out the women from whom they alleged that they had contracted disease, I found
on examination that not only the woman pointed out but all the prostitutes were
free from disease.
The ratio of admissions per 1,000 of the men has been very high, viz. 415.0,
the admissions from those contracted on the plains together with the re-admi
s-sions during the season bringing it up to that figure.
4. No Cantonment Sub-Committee exists ; the Officer Commanding exer-
cises supervision over the Lock Hospital.
5. Two unregistered prostitutes were brought to hospital during the year and
found diseased. One of these who was known to have carried on illicit prostitu-
tion with the soldiers, was kept under treatment till cured, and voluntarily regis-
tered herself ; the other case was kept under treatment till arrangements were
made for her transfer to Jubbulpore by the Officer Commanding, she being an
unregistered Second class prostitute.
6. The registration of prostitutes is efficient, and has been extended to First
class prostitutes only.
The area over which the rules are in force is 3.62 square miles.
The number of registered prostitutes at end of 1·879 was 5, increased during
the year and again diminished to 5 at end of 1880
.
7. No registration fees have been levied.
8. The women attended the periodical examinations regularly.
9. The women were examined weekly throughout the year, and also at irre
-gular periods, and those found diseased were admitted to hospital for treatment.
10. The diseases ,among the women were of a mild character, and readily
subsided under treatment. One of the cases of primary syphilis while under
treatment was delivered of a child prematurely born ; both child and mother died,
the latter a day after the birth of the child from suspected internal hœmorrhage,
No <i>post mortem</i> held.