'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎77r] (160/396)

EOU THE YEAR 1916.
75
longer tban the direct road, lias the advantages of being near the sea and away
from the area of tribal disturbances. There are, also, wells of fairly good
water at frequent stasres, enabling repair parties and line inspectors to move
with greater ease along the line. The Kuwait Telegraph Office was opened
for Government business on 4th December 1916, and has since been opened to
the public who are making corsiderable use of it. The people are now eagerly
anticipating a railway to Basrah, and that would undoubtedly ensure the
future cf the town and place it beyond the rivalry of all other ports on the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. trading with the interior of the peninsula.
The Post Office has been doing a large and increasing business in money
orders, remitting thus over 4^ lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. in the last quarter of 1916.
This demand for money orders is due to the difficulty of remitting specie by
steamers, as formerly, and to the fact that there has been a dearth of drafts
on Bombay.
Out-patients only are treated in the Charitable Dispensary. The prevail-
in £: diseases were those of the eye and
Public Health. j- x- ±
digestive systems.
98 vaccinations were performed.
There were 87 cases of malaria ; the small total due no doubt to the
scarcity of water and extreme dryness of the climate. Cases mostly occurred
among arrivals from Basrah and Bahrain. The quarantine arrangements are
worked in conjunction with the Shaikh. 30 ships called at the port, one only
being in quarantine with a case of small-pox.
One case of bubonic plague occurred in town early during the year
which recovered.
When a ship is in quarantine, the passengers to be landed are placed in
boats near the Customs House, as there is no proper quarantine ground.
No epidemics occurred during the year.
The number of out-door patients treated was 2,823 as compared with 2,831
in 1915.
The attendance of sick in the dispensary has been steadily declining on
account of the competition of the American hospital and dispensary.
Eye diseases are probably spread by filth and the presence of flies
which infest the town during six months in the year. Tuberculosis is common
among children and the mortality high : parents do not as a rule avail them
selves of medical aid, except in cases of injury or accidents.
There is no idea of systematic conservancy. _ Those who live near the
sea-shore use it for the purposes of nature, the inhabitants of the outskirts use
the open desert and those of the central quarters their house-tops, or pits dug
on the roadside.
Here, refuse matter is allowed to collect and rot, until sufficiently dry to
be removed for building w T alls and making bricks. Only the extreme dryness
of the climate and scarcity of water would seem to prevent the natural
consequences on the health of the people of such an entire absence of
sanitary arrangements.
All drinking water is brought by sailing boat from the Shatt-el-Arab some
70 or 80 miles distant.
The rate of exchange varied considerably during the year with a gradual
appreciation of the dollar and lira. The
Exchauge, rates in December 1916, were:—
Es. A. P.
Maria Therpse dollars at . . . . • 152 0 0 per 100.
Turkish Liras 1515 0 P er hra.
English sovereigns „ • • • • . 16 12 6 per £.
The relations of the Mission with Shaikh Jabir were quite satisfactory
and might be summed up in the phrase
MiBBion of the Reformed Church of America. "benevolent neutrality." The Shaikh
himself was under the missionary physician's care during the month of
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