Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎67r] (133/176)

75
^ ave been advanced by the Government to certain councils up to a
total ot £E 54,178 of which £E. 49,076 have been repaid up to date, the balance
l)eing payable during the current financial year. It is proposed to discontinue the
issue ot loans m future, the reserve fund at the disposal of the various councils being
now sufficient to enable them to discharge their current expenses.
The councils have during the year allotted subventions amounting to
EE.18./4, to elementary private schools, which number 2.616 and contain 132,458
.pupils of both.sexes. The number of elementary schools of both sexes under the
dn ection of the councils has reached a total of 582. attended by 51,369 pupils.
i ^ T- formed by the Ministry of Agriculture has recommended
that the direction of schools of practical agriculture should be transferred from the
provincial councils to the Ministry, grants towards maintenance being afforded by
t he councils. It is probable that the majority of the provincial councils will acquiesce
in (these recommendations, provided they are given representation on the controlling
Industrial schools maintained by the provincial councils number eleven,
attended by 1,644 pupils. Commercial schools take the form of evening classes and
total seven, attended by 256 pupils. Training schools now number ten for male
^aehers, with an attendance of 711, and five for female teachers, with an attendance
of^213. The provincial councils maintain fifty-two primary schools for boys with
5 576 pupils, and twelve primary schools for girls with 1,473 pupils.
446. Children’s dispensaries number ten, but the Provincial Council of Giza
has been obliged from motives of economv to decide on the suppression of its
dispensary. Four orphanages. 8 maternity schools, 7 ophthalmic hospitals (as against
o last year) and 5 isolation hospitals, are maintained by the provincial councils
447. The cotton markets which are directed by the provincial councils have been
more largely patronised than in any previous year.
76. Lunacy.
448 the number of admissions to the asylums during the year was 1,126,
almost the same as in the year 1920. The number of patients actually in residence
at the end of the year 1921 rose from 2.195 to 2,280. The total number of cases
Heated m the year was 3,321. The cost of maintenance per patient per annum
rose to £E. <4. The death rate rose slightly to 10-66 per cent. It was again necessary
to discharge many uncured patients to make room for incoming cases.
449. During the year sixty beds w^ere added to Abbassia Asylum by the construc
tion of a new section for women. Buildings to hold 200 beds have also been completed
at the other asylum at Khanka and will be opened in February 1922. Separate
residences for seven of the medical officers have also been completed. There are now
1.841 beds in the asylum, «.<?., about fourteen beds per 100.000 of the population (in
England 250 and in India three beds are provided per 100.000).
450. In the twenty-seven years during which lunacy administration has been
under British direction. 21.000 lunatics have been admitted; the relative statistics
have been compiled and wdll be published in the Annual Lunacy Report for 1921
In that period the cost of maintenance has amounted to £E. 1,105 000 and the cost
of buildings to £E. 360.000.
451. The admission rate of Europeans resident in Egypt is approximately
3 per 10,000; that of Egyptians less than -5 per 10,000. Syrians and Armenians
have an even higher rate than Europeans. The rate of admission of all races from
the town of Cairo was over 4 per 10.000. If all the cases occurring (many, of course
never being certified and sent to the asylum) were included, the insanity rate in Cairo
would probably differ little from that of England (6 2 per 10.000). The census of
1917 gave the total numer of insane in Egypt as 14,387. No doubt there are many
more.
77. Quarantine.
452. The work of the Quarantine Board of Egypt, which had been much reduced
during the years of the war, has again increased during 1921. For instance. 2.078
ships have been disinfected against 1,038 in 1920; fifty-one ships deratised in 1921
against twenty-two in 1920. The sea-borne cattle trade has recommenced, and in
1921 twenty-one cattle ships were disinfected against none in 1920.
453. the receipts of the Quarantine Board are still not sufficient to cover the
expenditure, and the Egyptian Government has been advancing funds to meet the