10

ANNUAL REPORT ON THE

    The weekly returns have been received regularly, and show a considerable increase in
the amount of venereal disease among the European troops at this station, both under the heads
of syphilis, primary, and gonorrhœa, as compared with last year; while the number of cases
of spyhilis, secondary, was only half that for the previous year. In analysing the statement,
however, I have to observe that, whereas in previous returns those cases contracted at other
stations have been omitted, in the present one all cases that have been under treatment have
been included, and if those cases contracted elsewhere be deducted from the total, the result
will be a diminution in the number actually admitted for diseases contracted at Kamptee to
the extent of nine.

    A Cantonment Sub-Committee has met regularly once a month throughout the year, to
discuss the working of the Lock Hospital and exercise supervision over the rules.

    The Police are directed to keep a watch on suspicious native women about the canton-
ments, and especially in the neigbourhood of the European lines; but, as in previous years,
they have not effected much good, chiefly from the difficulty in obtaining sufficient evidence
against a suspected woman to justify the Cantonment Magistrate in bringing her on the
register; but I think that the Police might detect more women if they were more zealous in
their endeavours. No women have been captured by the Regimental Police.

    Registration, for the reasons already given, is not efficient. Unless more stringent mea-
sures can be devised for bringing clandestine prostitutes on the register, it seems probable
that, in a year or two, the number of registered women will dwindle down to nothing. No
registration fees have been levied.

    The women have, on the whole, been regular in their attendance, but at the beginning of
the year they were disposed to absent themselves, and were only brought into order by being
fined by the Cantonment Magistrate. The number of women reported to the Cantonment
Magistrate for non-attendance during the year was 41; of these 21 were punished by fine and
the remainder admonished.

    The number of admissions among the registered women has been less than in 1878, and
the decrease has been both under the heads of syphilis, primary, and gonorrhœa; while as only
two cases of syphilis, secondary, have been admitted, the former disease is evidently not virulent.
Severe cases of venereal disease have been almost unknown among the registered women,
though the women caught by the Police are often extensively diseased from neglect of their
ailments.

    I can only suggest, in conclusion, that more stringent measures should, if practicable, be
taken for the detection of clandestine women by the Police, and especially the Regimental
Police, and the exclusion from the European lines of all female coolies.

Extracts from the Annual Medical Report of the Lock Hospital, St. Thomas'
Mount, by Surgeon-Major R. DEMPSTER.

    One hundred and sixteen cases of venereal disease were admitted into hospital of Royal
Artillery during the year, according to weekly returns furnished by the medical officer. Of
these 107 are stated to have been contracted at the Mount and 9 elsewhere.

    There is no Cantonment Sub-Committee.

    Measures for control of prostitution and specially for the prevention of unlicensed prosti-
tutes within the cantonment rest with the Police, the Superintendent of Police being Registrar,
to whom a report is sent weekly immediately after examination of all registered prostitutes
present or absent at that time.

    Sixty-seven prostitutes remained on the register on the 31st December 1878; 43 fresh
cases were registered during the past year, making a total of 110. Of these, deduct 47 who
have removed their names from the register or have absconded and 2 who have died, leaving
61 names on the register at the end of the year. There is a decrease of 11 fresh registrations
at St. Thomas' Mount, 3 at Pallávaram and an increase of 5 at Poonamallee. This gives a
total decrease of 9.

    It is quite impossible for me to say if the Police are working well. I think that they
might do more, but there is no doubt they have a most difficult task to perform.