17
Annual Report on the Kamptee Lock Hospital for the year 1879, by B. T. Sufferin
Surgeon Major, 2nd Light Cavalry, in Medical charge of Lock Hospital.
The Lock Hospital at this station is a well built pucka structure with good
ventilation, drainage, &c., and sufficient and suitable
accommodation for the number of patients usually under
treatment. It has been, however, so frequently describ
ed, that it is unnecessary to again describe it minutely now. There have been
no changes in the accommodation during the year under report.
The usual petty repairs have been executed to the building.
I was in medical charge from the 1st to the 27th of January, when, in con
sequence of illness, I was relieved by Dr. Maurice Smith,
Madras Medical Establishment, who remained in medi
cal charge until the 8th of July, when I relieved him
and continued in charge during the remainder of the year.
The weekly returns have been received regularly, and show a considerable
increase in the amount of venereal disease among the
European Troops at this station both under the heads of
syphilis primary and gonorrhœa, as compared with last
year ; while the number of cases of syphilis secondary was only half that for the
previous year. In analysing the statement, however, I have to observe that,
whereas in previous returns those cases contracted at other stations have been
omitted, in the present one all cases that have been under treatment have been
included, and if those contracted elsewhere be deducted from the total, the result
will be a diminution in the number actually admitted for disease contracted at
Kamptee to the extent of 9. 19 of those cases, viz. 14 of syphilis primary and
5 of gonorrhœa arrived here on the 30th December 1879 with the 2-13th Regi
ment, and therefore do not come legitimately into the list,. although they have
been included in it.
The number of admissions has increased greatly since the Health Post at
Sitabaldi was abolished in August 1879, and as a good many cases were report
ed to have been contracted at that place, the measure appears to have done some
harm ; but it appears probable that some portion of this increase is due to the.
employment of female Department Public Works coolies in the building of bar
racks, and to sly prostitutes taking service within the regimental lines, as a
woman of each of these two classes has been recently caught and found diseased.
8 cases of syphilis primary and 18 of gonorrhœa are attributed to clandes
tine prostitution, and 5 of syphilis primary and 9 of gonorrhœa to relapse.
A Cantonment Sub-Committee composed of the following officers has met
regularly once a month throughout the year to discuss
the working of the Lock Hospital, and. exercise supervi
s i o n
o v e r
t h e r u l e s , —
1. The Deputy Surgeon General, Nagpur Force.
2. The Deputy Commissioner of Nagpur.
3. The Senior Medical Officer, British Troops.
4.
The Medical Officer in charge Lock Hospital
.
5.
The Cantonment Magistrate.
6. The District Superintendent of Police, Nagpur.
All the members, with the exception of the Deputy Commissioner of Nag
pur and the District Superintendent of Police, have attended the monthly meet
ings regularly.
The police are directed to keep a watch on suspicious native women about
the Cantonment, and especially in the neighbourhood of
the European lines ; but, as in previous years, they have
not effected much good, chiefly from the difficulty in
1.—Nature and extent of
hospital accommodation, &c.
2.—Any change in the me
dical charge of the Lock Hos
pital.
3.—The extent of venereal
disease amongst European
Troops.
4.—Whether a Cantonment
Sub-Committee &c.
5.—What special measures
have been taken for control of
Prostitution.