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ALLAHABAD.

ANNUAL REPORT ON THE ALLAHABAD LOCK-HOSPITAL FOR 1877.

       1. The Allahabad lock-hospital is situated in the Katra bazár in the civil
station, between the old and new cantonments, about one mile from the former and
two and a half from the latter. The hospital is in a good central position, and consists
of a compound containing a row of nine small wards with a verandah in front.
Each ward is supposed to contain two patients, and has a cubic space of 1,282
and a superficial of 192 feet, thus giving each patient 641 cubic and 95 super-
ficial feet.

       2. The accommodation is insufficient for the number of women on the register.
The average daily number of patients for the year has been 22.59, while there is accom-
modation only for 18. The wards are ventilated by open doorways only.

       3. The establishment also contains an examination room, dispensary, cook-house,
native doctor's room, servants' quarters, and an open verandah which is used as an
office. There has been no change in any of the buildings during the year.

       4. The medical officer during this period has been Surgeon-Major W. Ashton, M.B.

       5. There has been a slight increase in the number of total admissions for venereal
disease among the European troops in 1877 as compared with 1876, as will appear
from the subjoined table; but 1876 was a singularly healthy year, and, with the excep-
tion of it, 1877 will compare favourably with any year since the lock-hospital was
established, while the admissions for syphilis have been much fewer than they ever
were before.

Statement showing admissions, &c., for European troops for 1875, 1876, and 1877.

       This shows that there were six more total admissions in 1877 than in 1876, but
86 fewer than there were in 1875.

       6. The returns for the European troops have been regularly received during the
year.

       7. A cantonment sub-committee holds monthly meetings throughout the year,
and consists of the deputy surgeon-general, Indian medical department, the deputy
surgeon-general, British troops, the magistrate of Allahabad, and the cantonment
magistrate.

       8. The register of women has been kept by the cantonment magistrate, and
regimental arrangements are made by commanding officers to prevent unlicensed
women frequenting the lines and bazár.

       9. Allahabad is a very difficult station in which to control prostitutes satisfac-
torily; there is no sudder bazár, the city is situated near the new cantonments, and
most of the numerous villages and bazárs in the neighbourhood contain prostitutes.
The three lines of railway meeting here also afford great facilities for changing resi-
dence when a woman wishes by doing so to avoid registration. If she becomes too well-
known in any locality she can leave the station altogether. After a while she returns,
selects some new abode, and is thus enabled to carry on her trade for some time longer
without being detected.