HC Deb 03 August 1883 vol 282 cc1474-5
MR. HOPWOOD

asked the Secretary of State for War, What was the comparative strength of the Military and Marine forces at Plymouth and Devon-port in the ten weeks of last year and the same period of this year, referred to in his answer on Monday last; was the difference in number sufficient to account for an increase of the number of patients in the Naval and Military hospitals at Stoke and Stonehouse; and, does the increase apply to contagious diseases only, or disease generally?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

It is not easy, Sir, to fix the naval population on which hospital ratios at. Plymouth have to be formed, as it fluctuates from day to day by the arrival and departure of vessels. The reply I gave to the hon. Member for Plymouth (Mr. Macliver) on the 30th of July was to the effect that his figures were substantially accurate; but I could not answer exactly. I will now state the actual Returns on which my reply was based. As regards the Military Force, the admissions to hospital for venereal diseases in the 10 weeks ended on the 20th of July this year were 183 on a total force of 2,859, while for the corresponding 10 weeks of last year the admissions from the same causes were 116 on a total force of 2,457 men. With reference to the Navy, the Return could not be procured at once by weeks; but it was found that on the 21st of July, 1883, there were 121 venereal cases in hospital on a total force of 7,309; while on the corresponding day of 1882 the number of patients was 47, on a total force of 7,334. The total admissions to hospital for military patients for the 10 weeks was larger in 1883 than 1882, the number rising from 312 to 460, the venereal cases accounting for 67 out of the increase of 148. The total number in hospital, as regards the Navy, similarly increased from 263 to 357; the venereal patients increasing by 74 out of a total increment of 94. The only element of uncertainty there appears to me to be in these figures is as to the quarters from which the troops had been recently moved. As to that I have not at present any information.