165

CALCUTTA LOCK HOSPITALS.

      Although the number of admissions of syphilis was a little higher than in
the previous years, there was a considerable reduction in the number of gonorr-
hœal cases, which gives a lower percentage than that of 1871. It must here be
explained that the admissions, as given above, are only those contracted in Cal-
cutta and the suburbs. There are other admissions into the Garrison Hospital;
but as the sufferers in these cases either contracted disease at Dum-Dum or some
other place, to which the operations of the Act have not been extended, or from
persons who are not registered, and therefore not amenable to the Act, they are
excluded in these tables, as the operations of the Act cannot be held responsible
for the occurrence of these cases. The admissions of gonorrhœal cases in 1871
amounted to 44; whereas in 1872 they came to 30 only; of these 30 cases, 17 were
admitted during the first-half of the year, and the remaining 13 in the second
half. The result thus obtained, is, I submit, an ample justification of the mea-
sure adopted by me in July last, of detaining all doubtful cases of vaginal dis-
charges. By the kindness of Dr. Moffat, in medical charge of the 1st Battalion,
14th Regiment, I am enabled to furnish an additional table showing the admis-
sions of venereal diseases from that regiment during the last three years.

Cases included in
the statement.

Venereal disease in
the 1-14th, dur-
ing 1870-71 & 72.

      The regiment was located at Cawnpore in 1870 and a part of 1871, and
at Fort William in 1872.

           The figures speak for themselves, and need no comment.

           11. The following tables of the civil hospitals and dispensaries are repro-
duced from last year's report for comparison:—

Venereal disease occurring among patients treated in the Calcutta hospitals.

    Looking at the steady and decided reduction of disease in the town during
the last four years, there can no longer exist any doubt that the Act has pro-
duced in succeeding years progressive benefit, which cannot be regarded as
merely casual, and which is traceable in every one of the tables connected with

Reduction of Ve
nereal disease
among civil po-
pulation.

S 1