"تقرير عن إدارة المقيمية السياسية في الخليج العربي والوكالة السياسية في مسقط لسنة ١٨٧٦-١٨٧٧." [و‎‎٦‎٠] (١٢٥/١١٨)

AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1876-77. 105
The principal streets are narrow, but generally even and free from
dirt. The streets in the bazaar opposite the Banya quarter are covered
over with matting so as not to admit the rays of the sun; and in conse
quence the ventilation in the bazaar is hig-hly defective. Owing to the
narrowness of the streets, and the closeness of most of the houses, the
ventilation is generally very indifferent, and light is sparingly admitted
into some of the by-lanes. The heat during the hot weather is very
oppressive, and walking, even a short distance, in the middle of the
day becomes an unpleasant task.
At Muttrah, and in the Khojia quarter in particular, the lanes are
very dirty, and unpleasant and offensive smells are not uncommon.
Prevailing diseases. —The general type of disease observed at Muscat
and in the surrounding country is what may be supposed to be peculiar
to the zone of tropical disease realm, being more or less characterised
by the great prevalence of malaria and its effects. In this respect a
close resemblance may be seen to exist between the principal diseases
of India, and those that prevail here, although the degree or intensity
of the malarial poison in the two places differs to a great extent.
Malaria and malarial fevers. —The cold season, which extends from
October to about the end of March, may also be termed the malarious
season, from the great prevalence of ague, and other diseases dependent
on malaria for their cause. The poison as known by its effects is either
of a milder nature or much less in its intensity than that observed to
prevail in most districts in India; thus ague, the most common form of
disease it causes, is generally observed here to be of a mild type, lasting
on an average about 48 hours (including the period of intermissions) ;
most easily yields to treatment and is least liable to be complicated with
other diseases. Although itself an uncomplicated disease, it seems,
however, to stamp other diseases with its own nature; thus inflammatory
fever as the result of a wound often assumes a periodic type. No class
of people seems to be altogether exempt from it during the malarious
season, although the Sedee, the Beloochee, and the Bedouin Arab seem
to suffer less from it than others. The Khojia and the town Arab, on
the contrary, suffer most from it and its effects. Remittent fever is
rather uncommon; but when it does occur it is generally uncomplicated
and of a mild type. Bilious remittent and remittent with typhoid
symptoms are almost unknown.
Hypertrophy of the spleen does not seem to be so common as
might be expected; a few cases occasionally present themselves, but they
are more of the nature of temporary congestion, yielding rapidly to
large doses of quinine. Brow ague, observed principally amongst the
ancemic Arabs and Arab women, is rather a common disease.
Considering the physical appearance and geological nature of the
country, it would not seem easy to account for the prevalence to such
an extent of malarious diseases. The atmospheric conditions that seem
to be most favorable for their production and prevalence, are a low
temperature of the air, and a wind blowing from the north-west, both of
which must be combined to produce the greatest amount of influence
they thus exert. It has been almost constantly observed that ague
begins to prevail at the setting in of the cold season, when the wind
o