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   Amongst the soldiers there was a great amount of disease, in all 257 cases, of
which 41 were contracted on the line of march from Jabalpur. This disease was due
to the prevalence of illicit prostitution, to the abolishment of punishment for the
offence of concealing disease, and to the remissness of the police authorities.

   The Sub-Committee assembled monthly and the venereal returns were received
regularly. All public prostitutes are supposed to be under the control of the
police, but irregularities have been discovered. The regimental police have taken
care to prevent the entrance, to the lines, of suspicious characters.

   81. The Cantonment Magistrate reports, that the extremely unsatisfactory results
were due, to the small number of registered women, and to facilities the soldiers
have for intercourse with unregistered women outside and also within the canton-
ments—a point prominently noticed last year, and to which earnest attention is again
invited.

   Ten women were punished for practising illicit prostitution and banished the
station, yet the prevalence of disease continued. Indeed, the fruitful sources of disease
are the female relations of the regimental native servants. And the granting of
passes to soldiers to proceed on shooting excursions permits opportunity for the con-
tract of disease.

   Only complete regimental police supervision can eradicate these sources of disease.
The civil police is powerless for their prevention. Moreover, to attempt to interfere
in such cases would result in bringing them into collision with the soldiers.

   At Khalsi, on one occasion, soldiers, apparently on leave for shooting, frequented
the house of a prostitute. At that time most virulent disease prevailed at Khalsi,
and if the truth were known, it would be found that the larger portion of disease is
contracted outside cantonment limits.

   The expenditure for hospital diet has been unusually excessive, and conse-
quently disallowed by the Paymaster, thus necessitating a reference to the Quarter-
master General.

   No answer having been received, the Cantonment Magistrate would ask attention
to his letter No. 489, dated 24th September, 1881, soliciting the orders of Govern-
ment upon the proposal to require the compulsory registration of any female rela-
tive of a regimental native servant, convicted of prostitution and found suffering
from venereal disease. Or, upon refusal to register, her expulsion from canton-
ments.

   82. The Commissioner of the Division observes that the results of the year's
management are very unsatisfactory, and agrees with the Medical Officer in think-
ing the existing lock hospital accommodation unsuitable, the number of registered
women insufficient, illicit prostitution not sufficiently repressed. The Commissioner
forwards the Cantonment Magistrate's letter No. 489 quoted above, and is of
opinion that the questions therein referred cannot be generally dealt with by Govern-
ment, but should be solved by the exercise of discretion and common sense on the
part of local officials.

   83. With reference to this letter No. 489, the file contains an expression of opinion
on the part of Superintendent of the Dún to the effect that a woman found diseased
cannot be compulsorily registered unless proved to be living the life of a common pros-
titute. Suspicions will not suffice, and he supposes that the Officer Commanding the
station has the power to expel from cantonments any women suspected of illicit
prostitution. Further, the Superintendent quotes No. 36 of the Lock Hospital Rules,
to the effect "that any woman reported under Rule 29, and convicted of practising
prostitution without being registered, shall, upon conviction, be entered in the
register, and become liable to all the regulations prescribed for the observance of regis-
tered prostitutes."