‏"ملخص الأحداث والتدابير الرئيسية التي اتخذها سمو نائب الملك اللورد كرزون من كيدليستون، نائب الملك والحاكم العام للهند في إدارة الخارجية. ‏I‏. يناير ١٨٩٩-أبريل ١٩٠٤. ‏II‏. ديسمبر ١٩٠٤-نوفمبر ١٩٠٥. المجلد IV. بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي." [و‎‎٧‎٥] (٣٨٦/١٥٤)

CHAPTER V.
Quarantine arrangements in the Persian Gulf.
To reinforce the Belgian Customs officers, who formed as it were their
first fighting line, the Russians in 1899, with a view to establish a second
one consisting of plague officers, again evinced a lively interest in regard to
the progress of the disease in India, and professed to be alarmed at its outbreak
at Bushire. But to make matters clear a brief reference to the medical
arrangements existing in 1899 is desirable.
2. On the appearance of plague in Bombay in 1896, at the recommendation
of the Bushire Residency, the Persian Government decided to introduce quaran
tine at all their chief ports, but, at first, endeavoured to carry this out unaided
under their own officials. Such a course was soon found to be impracticable,
and the sole responsibility for the effective imposition was vested in the
Political Residency. Rules framed on the then existing regulations, and
afterwards altered in accordance with those of the Venice Sanitary Convention,
were made applicable to Bushire, Jask, Bunder Abbas, Lingah and Mohammerah,
and at the first two places, the services of the existing Medical Staff were utilised,
while for the last three, Assistant Surgeons were lent in 1897 to Persia by the
Government of India.
3. So matters stood when in June 1899 it was reported that the Russians
were sending doctors to Shiraz and Kerman on account of the appearance
of plague at Bushire ; and as these proceedings involved an assertion of
Russian influence in Southern Persia, which was very undesirable, the Govern
ment of India arranged to depute Captain N. R. J. Rainier, I.M.8., and two
Military Assistant Surgeons to Bushire for plague duty and proposed to send
one also to Shiraz if the British Minister considered the step might result
in keeping the Russians out. This was not considered necessary at the time,
the Minister reporting that there was a private doctor at Shiraz.
4. The activity of the British Medical officers in investigating the epidemic
and the expectation that drastic measures would be applied by them gave rise
to an outburst of popular feeling. On the 31st July a demonstration took
place; stones were thrown at the Residency and the Telegraph Office. It was
also rumoured that requests for aid in resisting plague precautions had been sent
to the neighbouring tribes and in consequence the Resident was given discretion
to obtain the help of a gun-boat, with Indian troops from Jask and Charbar. In
October some of the ringleaders were bastinadoed at the Resident's demand.
Meanwhile plague died out at Bushire and matters were in a normal condition
until July 1903, in which month the Russian Ambassador in London informed
Lord Lansdowne of the Russian Govern
ment’s refusal to withdraw the quarantine*
cordon in Khorasan.
* Vide Russian activity in Seistan, Chapter XVI,
paragraphs 12*15, pages 131*132.
5. In consequence of this refusal, the Government of India suggested to
Sir A. Hardinge on the 2nd August 1903, for consideration, principally as a
counter-political move, whether we should not demand and utilize the right to
send medical officers with guards to additional Persian ports and asked for his
opinion.
6. Before this mattter could be further pursued, Sir A. Hardinge re
ported on the 7th August 1903 that there was reason to believe that, as a
counter-move to British objections to the Russian quarantine cordon, Russia was
pressing Persia to take the Persian Gulf quarantine arrangements out of the
hands of the British doctors and to place them under the Belgian custom-house
officials and that a doctor for the French Consulate at Bushire, had arrived
there probably in connection with some such plan. The pretext advanced by
the Persian Government was that the Shah had been alarmed at the appearance
of plague at Bahrein and had received information that the British doctors were
not taking efficient precautions to prevent the disease spreading to Persia.
The Secretary of State asked the views of the Government of India on this
report and on a suggestion made by Sir A. Hardinge that, if necessary, the