'MEMOIR on the Climate and Diseases of Southern Turkish Arabia by Surgeon-Major J. Hyslop, M.D.' [‎52v] (5/12)

281. Kal an<1 lh 5' slc: ' 1 Society of Bombay," No. IV., New Series,
pereo\ation n TnTtTe1latnL SO of "L^lataon^the other affordmg no
the diseases which were produced, or became aggravate
be more particularly noticed further on. W e remained thus till near
the end of May, when we were removed to Bushire. . . . i"e
evacuation of the place (Mohamreh) was rendered nearly im
perative, as the season for the river overflowing its banks was lapid y
approaching, and our encamping ground would speedily have been under
" The change to Bushire was acceptable also for other reasons. The
weather at Mohamreh bad latterly become oppressively hot,* and the
nights were sultry. Dysentery and diarrhoea prevailed to a cousideraole
extent, and fever would doubtless soon have been added.
Report by Surgeon The following on the same subject is
taken from the Annual Report of the 26th Regiment, Native Infantry,
for the year 1867—58,t by Surgeon J. E. Batho :—
" The army was encamped (at Mohamreh) in two divisions, on a
low plain of considerable extent, about a mile from the river; it bore
traces of having been recently flooded, and after its occupation by our
troops, extremely heavy rains fell in the latter part of April, converting
the soil into a deep and tenacious mud, which interrupted com
munication, gave rise to sickness, and added materially to the dis
comforts under which the men had lately suffered, e.g., detention on
board ship in Bushire roads for a fortnight in heavy weather, when the
diet of the majority was confined to pulse. . . . Under these cir
cumstances, to which were added exposure to the sun, labour in the
conveyance of tents and stores from the bunder to the camp, and heavy
night duties, some increase of sickness naturally resulted ; it was not,
however, very great, being for the month of April only 38 in excess of
the preceding month (or 84) ; of this number 19 were fevers, 19
affections of the bowels, 13 dysentery, 7 pulmonary complaints, and
15 contusions, &c., the effects of disembarking. The weather (April)
was becoming hot and sultry during the day, though the nights were
generally cool; the maximum of the thermometer was 100°, and the
minimum 50°.
On the 1st of May there were 26 in hospital, chiefly cases of fever,
dysentery, and diarrhoea ; the whole had a sickly appearance, and seven or
eight were in a feeble condition. . . On the 11th of May the regi
ment was in orders for Bushire. . . . Eor some time before the
departure of the army from Mohamreh, the climate had become
extremely warm and oppressive. At the beginning of May the mercury
rose to above 100° m a good Bengal tent (with a thick numda between
the flies as 0 early as 10 a.m. In the double-poled hospital tents it
rose to 111 and in the rowties it must have been higher than this.
he ettect ot this extreme heat tended to produce inordinate stimulation
o le organic functions of the body, while the animal functions were
ausmL't^l Knt/i 0 ? 1 "'' 88 / the biliary secretion in particular became
deteriorated, as manifested by the presence of jaundice
d affections of the chylopoetic viscera among officers and men."
tnnil 'Lf 0 K • Uat ' J 'b?' at a sll0rt distailoe from Mohamreh and Busreh
ncTh and easf 8 J m T t0 . be f0Und ' At 110 S reat dist ^ ^ ^
and east ot Mohamreh you ascend from the alluvial nlain and
the moist pestilential air of the marshes to an elevated Z d^ regfon,