'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎196v] (397/412)

62
The inhabitants of the town of Moharreq are beginning to express a desire
for the formation of a Mnnicipality there, and the Sheik intends to start one in
1925.
Medical. —Assistant-Surgeon R. Holmes was in charge of the Victoria Memo
rial Hospital throughout the year.
The number of out-patients treated was .. .. 4,126
The number of in-patients treated was .. .. 113
Epidemics. —Plague, which was probably introduced from Dubai, was. pre
valent with great severity during the early part of the year. It is estimated
that over 4,000 .deaths occurred from this cause. The outbreak started very
slowly and could, in all probability, have been checked, but for the ignorant pre
judice of the population who were unwilling, on religious grounds, to co-operate
in adopting the necessary measures, although the Sheikh was prepared to provide
a segregation hospital, and financial assistance for families segregated. Anti-
plague inoculation was resorted to, but it was extremely difficult to induce the
inhabitants to apply for it until the epidemics had assumed alarming^ proportions,
by which time inoculatior had lost much of its value as a preventive. Seven
hundred and thirty-seven inoculations were given in the Hospital and 3,141 were
given outside.
Great credit is due to Assistant-Surgeon Holmes, who worked extremely
hard during this trying period.
Small-pox was sporadic during the year, but vaccination was little resorted
to.
^ Forty-eight medico-logal cases came before the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. 's Court, the
majority of which were cases of common assault.
Medical Arrangements made hy the Bahrain State. —Early in the year the
Bahrain State purchased a fine boom ( dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. ) built in Kuwait, which was fitted
out as a hospital boat for the use of the Bahrain pearling fleet. It was unfortu
nately impossible to secure the services of an Assistant-Surgeon in time for the
diving, but Assistant-Surgeon Holmes volunteered his services, and made a short
visit of about ten days duration to the pearl banks towards the end of the season-
A considerable number of cases were treated,- sick divers often jumping over
board and swimming some distance from their own dhows to the hospital boat
in their anxiety to obtain treatment. It is hoped that the services of a sub-
assistant-surgeon will be procured in time for the next diving season. The State
has opened a small free dispensary in the town of Muharreq, which the Shaikh
intends to improve in due course.
The Sultan of Nejd.—Sultan Abdul Aziz ibn Sa'ud was at Rivadh at the-
beginning of the year. He moved to Hasa about the 15th January and thence to
Qasim about the 15th April. Early in May he proceeded to Rivadh, where he
remained till the beginning of November, when he left for Mecca. He remained at
Mecca until the close of the year.
At the end of July a report reached Bahrain that the Sultan had despatched
nf S 6 m T" h o stl Jl ttes Wlt l m Yahya of Yemen in the neighbourhood
ot hjbha. Nothing further was heard subsequently in this connection
A report was received at the same time that a large force was being-assembled
at Artawiya to attack Trans-Jordania via Hail and Kharbut. Early in Auo'u«t
it was reported that this force .had left Hail for Jauf. This was confirmed by
onteUthAu^sT aM_0n 3 Pla0e ten mifes SOuth of ATmr ' a »
> , ; 0 Si the Sa r^® t f me all0t ^ er . of Akhwan from Riyadh was despatched
nf TT. •« ?A Ce . eap A t 1 nred Taif 011 the 9th September, defeated a force
of Hejaz troops under Amir All sent out against it and entered Mecca without
any resistance about the middle of October.
From the date of the capture of Mecca to the end of the year the Sultan
ment P h8d a mofed 0r the mvestiture of Jeddto w hich town the Hejaz Govern-
During the early part of the year the Sultan was occupied with the Con-
Heiaz^and during ^ eld T ^ KnWf f ^tween delegates from Nejd, Iraq and the
oul between NeiVl and tbl W P n 6 the hostilities which broke
of \Vid f t w o A , r r riCan t M f Si0n l : made a P rotrae ted visit to the interior
that fanaticism A tT 8 ^ been T® 11 received and is of the opinion
tAe tanatl01s P of the Akhwan is decreasing. The Mission is known to be