92
MEDICAL AND SANITARY REPORT OF THE NATIVE ARMY OF BENGAL.
Statistics.
Cantonment
Lock
Hopitals,
Lucknow.
Statistics.
During 1875, 569 prostitutes were borne on the register, and the daily
number of in-door patients for the year was 49.19, or at the rate of 8.64 per
cent. of those registered.
The Deputy Surgeon-General reports that everything in connection with
the management and establishment was in good order, and the periodical
examination of the prostitutes was most carefully conducted.
It seems that a question had been raised by the Local Government as to
whether, since the abolition of the practice of taking fees from the registered
women in August last, the institution is of sufficient importance in arresting
the spread of venereal disease among the civil population for the municipality
to incur the entire expense of keeping it up. On this point the Deputy Surgeon
-General thus expresses himself: "We spend thousands on drainage and con
-servancy and other sanitary arrangements, and why should not the municipality
spend some of its money in treating and arresting one of the most loathsome
and formidable diseases that can be spread amongst any community ?"
Cantonment Lock Hospital, Lucknow.—The Deputy Surgeon-General of
the Lucknow Circle inspected the Cantonment Lock Hospital, Lucknow, on the
21st January 1876. Surgeon E. J. Fairland, the Station Staff Surgeon, had
been in charge of this hospital, which is graded as a 1st class one during 1875.
The statistics of registration of prostitutes were as follow, viz., on the 31st
December 1874, 93 were on the register, and, during 1875, 58 were registered,
thus making a total of 151. Of these, 50 were removed during the year, so that
on the 31st December 1875 there were 101 borne on the register.
The following table exhibits the average annual strength of the registered
prostitutes, the number ad
-mitted into hospital, and the
rate per cent. of admissions
on mean strength for the
years 1873, 1874 and 1875.
It will be noticed that al
-though the numbers of re
- g i s t e r e d w o m e n h a v e i n c r e a s e d a n n u a l l y , s t i l l t h e a v e r a g e o f 1 0 3 o n t h e r o l l s f o r
1875 seems to be a small number in comparison to the size of the cantonment.
The admissions are very high in proportion to the mean strength, but Mr.
Fairland states that the cases of 51 unregistered women are included in the ad
- m i s s i o n s o f 1 8 7 5 ; o f 5 8 o f t h e s e u n r e g i s t e r e d w o m e n , 5 1 w e r e f o u n d t o b e d i s e a s e d ,
or at the rate of 87.93 per cent, and these women had the option of being pun
- i s h e d b y t h e c a n t o n m e n t m a g i s t r a t e , o r e l s e o f b e i n g r e g i s t e r e d , b u t t h e y
almost invariably accepted the latter alternative, and thus ceased to be a source
of danger. Mr. Fairland also states that of 43 women who came during
1875 from distant stations to be registered in Lucknow Cantonment, only 7 were
found to be healthy.
1873.
1874.
1875.
Mean strength on the register . . .
79
94
103
Admitted to hospital . . .
378
364
506
Admissions per cent. of mean
strength.
478.48
387.23
491.26
Average strength . . . 103
" daily sick . . .
19
Per cent. of mean strength . . . 18.44
Examination.
Syphilis.
The examinations were conducted twice a week; on Sundays, by the medical
officer in presence of the native doctor and matron, and on Fridays by the two
latter officials.
The admissions into hospital from the troops on account of venereal,
diseases were at the rate per cent. of strength as
marginally shewn, and it will be observed that
since 1873 there has been a decided increase in
them. This increase of venereal disease amongst
the European troops, Mr. Fairland attributes to the extraordinary susceptibility
of H.M.'s 40th Regiment to attacks of venereal diseases, as well as to the illicit
intercourse of the European soldiers with Kunjur women, and with prostitutes
in Lucknow City. Mr. Fairland, in his interesting report offers suggestions
as to the best mode of dealing with such cases which it is unnecessary to
reproduce in this report.
While the prevalence of venereal disease is to be deplored, it is at all events
some consolation to be told that a very small proportion of secondary syphilis
has resulted from the primary attack.
1872 . . . 18.90 per cent.
1873 . . . 15.20 "
1874 . . . 25.54 "
1875 . . . 34.21 "