Folios 231-320: Correspondence regarding the Venereal Disease in Japan showing the...

Folios 231-320: Correspondence regarding the Venereal Disease in Japan showing the steps taken to mitigate 'this evil'. Contains overview page (folio 231).

Encloses letter (folios 232-238): Admiralty (signed E Swainson), dated 21 December 1882 to Vice Admiral, G O Willes CB, China, forwarding a copy of an extract from the last Quarterly Medical return from HMS Flying Fish by Staff Surgeon R V MacCarthy (folios 234-235) as well as a copy of Dr W H Stofferts remarks (folios 236-238). Also instructing to induce the Japanese Government to accept an English Naval Medieval Officer for the Supervision of Lock Hospitals in that Country.

Encloses letter (folio 239): George O Willes, Vice Admiral, Commander-in-Chief, HMS Audacious at Hong Kong dated 10 February 1883 to the Secretary of the Admiralty, regarding the best course of action avoiding the contraction of venereal disease mentioning recent successes on the HMS Iron Duke by Captain Tracey.

Encloses letter (folio 240): Charles Morton, Fleet Surgeon, HMS Iron Duke at Hong Kong dated 6 December 1882 to Captain Richard E Tracey, HMS Iron Duke, providing an insight into the venereal disease situation on the ships of the China Station.

Encloses letter (folio 241): George O Willes, Vice Admiral, Commander-in-Chief, HMS Iron Duke at Hong Kong dated 12 February 1883 to His Excellency, Harry S Parkes KCB GCMG, HMS Envoy Extraordinary Minister Plenipotentiary, Japan, regarding the large number of cases of Venereal disease occurring on HM ships which have occurred after visiting Japanese ports (especially Nagasaki). Asking to use authority and assistance of colleagues to put down the illicit prostitution at grog houses which are suggested to be the cause of the disease.

Encloses letter (folio 242): George O Willes, Vice Admiral, Commander-in-Chief, HMS Audacious in Woosung River dated 28 May 1883 to the Secretary of the Admiralty, regarding the steps to be taken to limit the contraction of the Venereal disease in Japan. Outlines the desired course of action.

Encloses letter (folios 243-297): Harry S Parkes, HBM Legation, Tokio dated 9 May 1883 to His Excellency, Vice Admiral Willes CB, Commander-in-Chief, reports on the attempts to adopt stringent measures to prevent to prevent the harbouring of women for illicit prostitution in the Public Houses in the Settlements. This includes reports from Nagasaki (folios 254-290, which includes a search warrant, statements and list of hotels and public houses) and from Kobe (291-297, which includes 'rules published by Morioka Masadzuma [?] of Hiago, relating to the punishment of unlicensed prostitutes dated March 30 1883' in folios 295-297).

Encloses letter (folios 298-313): Harry S Parkes, HBM Legation, Tokio dated 11 May 1883 to Vice Admiral Willes CB, forwarding an additional report on the illicit prostitution in public houses at Yokohama (folios 308-313).

Encloses letter (folios 314-318): Harry S Parkes, HBM Legation, Tokio dated 23 May 1883 to His Excellency, Vice Admiral Willes CB, China, regarding a previously omitted instruction and correspondence that discussed the potential licensing of foreign tavern keepers.

Encloses letter (folio 319): Admiralty (signed George Tryon), dated 19 April 1883 to Vice Admiral Willes CB, China, informing that H Parkes has been instructed by the Foreign Office to cooperate on this matter.

Encloses letter (folio 320): Admiralty (signed George Tryon), dated 16 May 1883 to Vice Admiral Willes CB, China, informing that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs does not with that Sir H Parker should interfere in this matter.