No.
1230/73
FROM
I P | 1 9 | H C . 4
F. C. BERRY, ESQUIRE, C. S.,
OFFG. ASST. SECRETARY TO THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER,
Central Provinces.
To
The SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA,
home, Revenue and Agricultural Department,
Dated. Nagpur, the 12th April 1881.
SIR,
I am directed to submit the reports on the working of the Lock Hospitals
of Kamptee, Saugor, Jubbulpore and Pachmarhi during the year 1880, with
their accompanying Statements.
2. To facilitate comparison a statement is appended showing in a collated
form the returns of these four institutions for 1879 and 1880.
3. It will be observed that there has been a slight increase in the average
number of prostitutes on the registers; and in the average number who attended
for periodical inspection ; that the total number reported to Cantonment Magis-
trates has considerably decreased ; that the number found diseased and admitted
to hospital has slightly increased ; and that the aggregate expenditure has been
reduced by Rs. 450.
4. The registration of women practising prostitution appears to be less
efficient than it might be at Kamptee, Sangor and Jubbulpore. The difficulty
of getting men to point out the women from whom they may have contracted
venereal disease is notorious, and is borne out by the experience of the officers in
medical charge of the Saugor, Pachmarhi and Kamptee Lock Hospitals. It
avails little that admissions to hospital of registered women decrease in number,
if, as at Jubbulpore, a diminution of disease in the women co-exist with an increase
of venereal disease among the British troops. The conclusion that in a large
number of these cases the disease was contracted from unregistered women is
irresistible, and under these circumstances the remedy appears to the Chief
Commissioner to rest mainly with the Military authorities, who by closer super-
vision of their men may assist the Police in reporting the practise of unregistered
prostitution.
5. It is satisfactory to note that the aggregate amount of venereal disease
among the British troops at Kamptee was less in 1880 than in the preceding
year, and that the cases were of a milder character. Even allowing for the
reduced strength of the troops in the latter year, the percentage of admissions to
hospital for venereal affections fell from 179 to 162 per 1,000 of strength for
period of occupation. A similar result was apparent also atSaugor.
There was a slight increase in the number of cases treated at Jubbulpore,
mainly due apparently to the presence of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers
amongst whom almost twice as many admissions occurred during their three
months' occupation as had taken place in the 2-1st Royal Scots during the pre-
ceding nine months of the year. There was an increase in admissions for venereal
disease to Pachmarhi Lock Hospital, but in a large majority of the cases the
disease was imported and not contracted locally.
The Chief Commissioner notes with satisfaction that the exclusion of female
labourers from barracks still receives attention. Their admission is doubtless a
fertile source of disease.
The small number of registered prostitutes as compared with the large civil
population resident near the cantonments of Jubbulpore, Saugor and Kamptee
is of itself sufficient to prove that the registration of professional prostitutes is
incomplete.
It is on this point that efforts appear most necessary and that the co-opera-
tion of the Military and Cantonment Police may be expected to produce bene-
ficial results.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
F. C. BERRY,
Offg. Asst, Secretary.