'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎143r] (290/470)

One balamji was dispensed with at the end of the summer, and, for the present,
the total Arab staff has been reduced to one guardian. This, however, is only a
temporary measure, and the number will have to be increased in the near future.
(7) Transport. —One motor launch, with a British R.E. driver and two lascars A term used by the British officials to describe non-European sailors employed on East India Company ships. ,
is supplied by the D.I.W.T., R.E.
One motor launch is placed at the disposal of the Department by the Red Cross
Society. A second Red Cross launch is also now available when required.
(8) Premises.- —The Port Health Office is located in a house in Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Lane,
Khudhairi Street, ‘Ashar.
The transfer of the Department to Quarantine Island has been sanctioned by
the Base authorities. This change has been necessitated by the anticipated
resumption of the pilgrim traffic, and will take place at an early date in 1919.
(9) Equipment. —A new Clayton machine, mounted on a barge (Disinfector 1),
arrived at the beginning of the year. It has been loaned temporarily to the Military
Authorities for disinfection work at the Central Disinfecting Station, Base. It has
been found to be satisfactory and is available at any time, if required, by this
Department.
A stock of drugs, vaccines, disinfecting apparatus and rat traps is kept at the
office. A Field Medical Companion and dressing box with sterilisers, &c., are kept
on each launch.
(10) Quarantine Measures. —In compliance with port rules, all ships, except
H.M. ships and ambulance transports, enter the port in quarantine, whether from,
infected or healthy ports or ferrying from transports at the Shatt-al-‘Arab bar.
All ships arriving in quarantine, whether coming to a berth in Basrah or passing
through to Nahr ‘Umar, are examined by the boarding medical officers before
pratique is given. .
Any infectious disease occurring on board ships at Nahr ‘Umar is dealt with by
the medical authorities there, a report being telephoned to this office stating the
preventive measures adopted. If it is considered necessary, the ship is visited while
passing through this port on her outward journey.
Bills of health are issued to out-bound ships when required. The constant
direct supervision by this Department of the health conditions on board ships while
in oort compensates, to a great extent, for examination of crews before departure.
Routine inspection of native sailing craft is not carried out, but visits are paid
to sea-going native vessels when opportunity permits. The late Port Health Officer
was of the opinion that the expense entailed in the supervision of all native sailing
craft bv a large staff of Arab guardians and boatmen was not justified by the results
obtained. He entertained the view, as expressed in his last annual report, that there
was no reason to believe that any ill consequences have resulted from not adopting
more extensive measures than those in force at present. I will allude to this problem
in a later part of the report. . . ^ 1 ^ x
The sanitary control of the river steamer service is vested m another Department.
Under peace conditions this duty will probably h%ve to be undertaken in Basrah by
the Sanitary Department of the port.
(11) Delay to Shipping. —Delay to shipping was reduced to a minimum; one
cargo transport was detained five days in order to carry out rat destruction for
plague.
(12) Vaccination and Inoculation—It is known that the Department is willing
to perform vaccination against small-pox, and inoculation against the enteric group
of fevers and cholera, on board ships when requested. Several officers of ships have
availed themselves of the opportunity during the year.
(13) Coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. Labour on Board Ships.—The work of unloading ships in the port is
carried out by coolie A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. gangs, composed of Indians, Chinese and Persians from the
The sanitarv conditions under which these men live have been much improved
by the establishment of camps-on shore for the Chinese and Persians; while the
Indians, for the most part, hve on barges on the river.
The personal habits of the Persian coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. while on board ships still offer a
grave menace to the health of the crews of vessels. These coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. show a very
marked reluctance to reporting sick, and cases have occurred where they have died
on board without the officers in charge being aware that they were ill.