'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1915-1919' [‎151r] (308/396)

FOK THE YEAR i9 t 8.
67
APPENDIX II.
THE AMERICAN MISSION.
In two branches of their work in which the administration is concerned, viz., medical and
educational, the American Mission has done splendid work in the past year.
The medical work for men continues to show progress and this year has seen the doctor
welcomed practically everywhere. The few men who held out against the mission so many
years have lately opened their doors—the last surrender being Shemlan who has during the
last two months availed himself of the services both of Mrs. (Dr.) Calverley on behalf
of his harem, and of Dr. Mylrea on behalf of his small grandson. So that while last year's
report read " most of the men of influence in Kuwait make use of the Mission doctors", this
year it should read " Practically ali".
Shaikh Salim broke his long silence on October 11th when he at last called on
Dr. Mylrea, inspected the hospital and took the doctor home to lunch with him. On December
14th the Shaikh accepted an invitation to lunch with Dr. Mylrea and afterwards presented
him with a piece of land adjoining and to the south of the Mission compound. This piece of
land which will be a valuable addition to the Mission's property was promised to the Mission
some two years ago by Shaikh Jabir but Salim was in no hurry to fulfil his brother's
promises.
Shaikh Khaz'al of Mohammerah during his stay in Kuwait has been very friendly. He
has given the Mission a special donation to be used in putting down clay on the roads
bordering on and leading to the hospital. This will be a great improvement, for the deep
soft sand was very trying to sick people walking to the hospital in the hot weather.
Towards the end of October Kuwait was visited by an epidemic of influenza; hardly a
house escaped and most of the cases complicated by pneumonia, terminated fatally. The
estimated mortality runs as high as 4,000 —this estimate is possibly too high. In the month
of November Dr. Mylrea made 238 professional visits. By the beginning of December the
epidemic had spent itself.
Hospital Statistics are as follows : —
2,992 New cases and 8,365 Repeat Treatments ; 379 Professional Visits were made to
patients in their houses; 110 in-patients were received into the wards; 46 Major
Operations and 148 Minor Operations; 5J Intravenous injections fcr Venereal
Disease.
The Dispensary for Women treated 1,300 New Cases with 2,387 Repeat Treatments;
70 Professional Visits were made to patients in their houses ; 8 In-patients were
admitted into the Female Ward ; 7 Major Operations and 71 Minor Operations
were performed.
Note .—The Statistics date from Novernber let, 1917, to October 31st, 1918
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