MILITARY LOCK HOSPITALS, MADRAS PRESIDENCY.

9

them registered on their discharge from hospital, and then only when they again became so
diseased that they were unable to practise their trade.

    The attendance at the periodical inspection has been very irregular; the cause of the irregu-
larity is attributed to the attempt to evade hospital admission, as many of them on being
brought for examination by the Police were found diseased. Four hundred and nineteen were
reported for non-attendance, but this number includes women who were known to have left the
cantonment for months, their names being kept on the register as they might return; small fines
and imprisonment were awarded, the amount realized being Rupees 2-10-0.

    The admissions have been 343, showing a decrease of 35 against the previous year. The
diseases have been of mild type, but in many cases attended with suppuration of inguinal glands,
causing the period of treatment to be much protracted. I have found the same to occur among
the men, but in them the long stay in hospital produced depression and an anæmic condition,
invariably followed by fever necessitating stimulants and quinine in the treatment. The
women who were the longest in hospital were the non-registered prostitutes who had neglected
their disease before admission. Of 22 women pointed out by soldiers, only 7 were found
diseased and detained for treatment. No admission among the women was due to non-venereal
affections.

Extracts from the. Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital, Cannanore,
by Surgeon W. A. LEE.

    The building occupied as a Lock Hospital is very objectionably situated in proximity to
the main road, and the patients are exposed to the observation of the passers by.

    No Cantonment Sub-Committee assembled during the past year.

    Clandestine prostitution prevails largely. The registered prostitutes are, as a rule, dirty,
miserably clad, and physically repulsive, while the first-class prostitutes and those in compara-
tively good circumstances are permitted to practise their calling without interference. It is
possible, however, that the latter are not resorted to by the European troops.

    During the year 33 prostitutes were registered, being an increase of 8 as compared with
1878. Five of the newly-registered women were employed as sweepers, &c., in the regimental
lines and 5 were emigrants from the Mysore District.

    The following table shows the castes of the prostitutes on the register on the 31st Decem-
ber 1879 :—

    The attendance of the women at the periodical examinations has been very irregular.

    The health of the prostitutes has been very bad during the year, and there has been a
considerable increase in the number of admissions compared with previous years.

Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital, Kamptee,
by Surgeon-Major B. T. SUFFREIN.