22

ANNUAL REPORT ON THE

   This statement shows a marked variation in the percentage of admissions to strength in regi-
ments and batteries. On this point the Medical Officer in charge of Royal Artillery states:—

      I.  "As the three batteries of Royal Artillery at Trimulgherry are all under the same conditions
               as regards discipline, supervision, &c., the difference in greater number of admissions from
              venereal disease in one of them over the others, cannot be accounted for otherwise than
               a coincidence.

      II.     "There is no system of check to prevent clandestine prostitution, which would appear to be
              more a police matter.

              There is no doubt, so long as there are clandestine prostitutes the men will cohabit with them,
               and I look upon this source as the chief factor in the production of so much disease."

      III.  "The Regimental Police do not exercise any supervision over prostitutes, clandestine or
               otherwise; the only orders they have on this subject are "that any women found loitering
               about the lines are to be handed over to the Civil Police."

   The Officer in Medical charge of Her Majesty's 12th Royal Lancers is of opinion

              "That the variation is too small a one to enable a true deduction to be drawn therefrom.
               With regard to the 44th Regiment, whose admissions are largest, their quarters were
               nearest to Trimulgherry bazaar, the principal source of the disease; and it is quite possible
               they had. less variety than the men, for instance, of the 12th Lancers to choose from.
               Between the Artillery and Cavalry lines there is certainly a great deal of clandestine prosti-
              tution carried on by grass-cutters, coolies, &c. In the 12th Lancers the Provost Sergeant
               and his assistants have strict orders to keep all suspicious women away from the lines."

   And the Medical Officer in charge of Her Majesty's 2-16th Regiment explains as follows:—

      2.     "In the 2-16th Regiment the Regimental Police system for prevention of clandestine
               prostitution is in force, and the decrease exhibited in the statement enclosed for informa-
              tion by the Medical Officer in charge, Lock Hospital, in the number of admissions in this
               battalion may very probably account for this; but almost all the men, on admission into
               hospital, state that they contracted the disease near the bazaar, behind the barracks of the
               2-16th Regiment and in rocks while out walking."

      3.     "I would here state that to prevent clandestine prostitution being carried on among the
               rocks, &c., additional police detectives are essentially necessary; and unless this is done,
               the efforts used for arresting the prevalence of venereal disease in the European troops
               will not be attained."

      4.    "In conclusion, I beg to mention, that owing to the increase of venereal affections in the
               corps, I have addressed the Officer commanding the Regiment, to take steps to secure the
               women found to prowl in the rocks in the vicinity of the barracks after dark, and send
               them to Lock Hospital for examination."

   In the above remarks of the Medical Officers in charge of the European troops at this
station, no doubt the true cause of the large amount of venereal disease amongst the European
troops is to be found, and it is my opinion that this disease is the result of clandestine prosti-
tution, carried on around the rocks and other secret places in the vicinity of the barracks with
grass-cutters, coolies, and other female followers of the regiments, ands until by a systematic
co-operation between the regimental authorities and the police this evil is put a stop to, the
registration and examination of the prostitutes will have little effect in diminishing the amount
of this disease. It is supposed that the men prefer intercourse with those unregistered
prostitutes, and it is a very usual thing to find that the men, in order to screen the women who
have given them the disease, have, on being required to point out from whom they contracted
it, named a registered prostitute who, on being examined, has been found perfectly free from it.

   In illustration of this I subjoin a statement, from which it will be observed that out of
53 cases pointed out by them, only 19 were found diseased:—