'File 61/13 I (D 133) Wahabis and Pilgrimage to Hedjaz' [‎68r] (147/431)

11
iie^
i pIlfE;
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while the total number of patients throughout the year, including Hejazis, was
25,359.
The table of diseases given below shows roughly the percentage of cases
treated at the dispensaries at Jedda, Mecca, and Muna :—
Medical. Percentage.
Malaria and its complications...
Other infective diseases ...
Urinary diseases, including ghonorrhoea and
syphilis
Digestive troubles
Circulatory diseases ...
Respiratory diseases...
Nervous diseases
Diseases of the locomotory system
Women's diseases
Children's diseases ...
Eye, ear, nose and throat diseases
Sinuses, fistulae, &c. ...
Wounds, contusions ...
Fractures and dislocations
Hydrocele and hernia
Stone in bladder ... ...
30
•05
19-05
16
•1
1-5
•2
•5
3
3
6
10
9-5
•5
•5
•1
39. For many years the Indian doctor has been prohibited from indulging
in private practice at Mecca. Well-to-do pilgrims, however, who want his
services at their houses, for which they are of course prepared to pay, often
object to this restriction, thereby giving rise to a somewhat difficult problem.
On the one hand, there is the consideration due to the well-to-do class of
pilgrims, especially ladies, who as a result of distance and heat, &c., cannot
come in person for treatment. On the other hand, if private practice were to
be allowed, the doctor would naturally spend comparatively little time in the
dispensary, to the great detriment of the poorer class of pilgrims. Under the
circumstances, it was thought best that Dr. Abdul Hamid should attend better-
class patients, especially respectable ladies, in their houses free, as an experiment.
This privilege was only consented to persons who were known to be deserving of
it both as regards their social status and the gravity of their ailment. These
domiciliary visits, however, took up a considerable portion of the doctor's time
and energy on account of the distance he often had to traverse in order to visit
the patients. Before the actual Haj period the doctor was able to use a car for
this purpose, but during the Haj, and for a few days before and after it, no cars
eredi were allowed to circulate in Mecca, except those belonging to the Government
and those used by the Egyptian Medical Mission. In some cases pilgrims who
jn t|{ could quite well have attended at the dispensary in person, tried to take
advantage of the system of free domicilary visits and induce the doctor to visit
them in their houses. It is suggested that in order to put a stop to this abuse,
and to limit the number of calls on his time and energy, the doctor should be
allowed to charge a fee sufficient fo cover the necessary motor or cab hire—
, provided always that the system of such domiciliary visits is continued in future.,
cca, ^
to't" Staff.
! 40. A military sub-assistant surgeon was again deputed by the Govern-
ment of India to work at the Mecca dispensary. He arrived here on the
25th April and left for Mecca on the 27th. He was, as usual, assisted by a
' aI1 J Malay dresser. The latter's services, however, proved useful neither to the
e 1111111 Indians nor to his own pilgrims because he was unable to speak Hindustani,
pD r P 0?f ,( and because Malay pilgrims live in a distant quarter of the town far from the
ikdatj
dispensary. This question is at present under discussion, and it seems probable
edis* that—with the consent of the Government of the Straits Settlements—Malay
pilgrims shall be attended by the Javanese doctor attached to the Dutch Legation,,
and that an Indian compounder will be sent to take the place of the Malay
dresser on Dr. Abdul Hamid's staff. Dr. Hamid Hussan performed his duties
, (jispet satisfactorily.
OOM 5 [5725] c 9