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Appendix B.

SIR,-In the enclosed table which is compiled from the Colonial Surgeon's Annual Reports is given the Contagious Diseases returns for the past ten years.

The return for 1894 applies to the first five months of the year only, as after 31st May no returns were furnished by the Military.

It was on the 1st September, 1887, that the compulsory medical examination of women was abolished by an order from Her Majesty's Government.

The average percentage of men per month who contracted the disease in the Colony is seen to have risen from 22 in 1886 to 49 in 1894, in other words in 1894 more than twice the number of men contracted this disease than in 1886.

The Naval returns have not been sent to the Medical Department since 1890. It will be seen that taking the two years prior to the repeal and the two years subsequent the number of men admitted to the Naval Hospital suffering from Venereal Diseases was:-

1885 and 1886, 1888 and 1889,

435

593

With the Military the increase is more marked, the numbers being as follows:-

1885 and 1886,

1888 and 1889,

1892 and 1893,

་་་

378 853 ....1,179

I have included 1892 and 1893, as they are the last two years in which complete returns were given.

From this it will be seen that in 1892 and 1893 more than four times the number of soldiers were diseased than in 1885 and 1886, though the percentages when worked out shew 14 for 1885 and 1886, and only 2-78 for 1888 and 1889, and 2.28 for 1892 and 1893.

With regard to the patients in the Civil Hospital it is more difficult to draw absolute deductions. In the Annual Report of the Government Civil Hospital for 1889 I stated:-

"Venereal Diseases.-There has been a marked increase in this class of diseases the numbers being 206 as against 118* in the previous year. Although many of these cases have been introduced into the Colony from other ports, I have no reason to believe that this has been more so than in the previous year."

Although many may have contracted the disease elsewhere, on the other hand there are those who have contracted the disease here and in whom the disease has not become developed until after they have left the Colony.

Taking the same years as before the numbers read-

1885 and 1886,

1888 and 1889,

1892 and 1893,

195

200

301

With regard to the Police admitted with venereal complaints to the Civil Hospital the increase is apparent-

1885 and 1886, 1888 and 1889,

52 111

It must also be borne in mind that the number of persons contracting constitutional syphilis has very much increased; this, in my opinion, is a direct result of the repeal of the Act.

It is only to be expected that the disease must become more virulent as the women fail to submit themselves to treatment.

In the Annual Report of the Government Civil Hospital for 1891 I stated under the heading Venereal Diseases

'Although there is a diminution in the total number of cases under treatment during 1891 as compared with 1890, viz., 230 as against* 266. On examination Table Vf. it will be seen that there has been a great increase in the number of cases of Primary and Secondary Syphilis, the numbers being 94 as against 93 in 1890, an increase of 118 per cent.

17th March, 1896.

J. M. ATKINSON, Acting Colonial Surgeon.

* These numbers include cases treated in the Hospital of persons not included in the classes tabulated in the returns,

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