33 3H5 VII. PUBLIC HEALTH.

34. H Tlie work of tlic Government liospitnls aiul dispensaries contimus to show satislactoiy progress. The in-patients treated during the year mimbered 37,000, wliile in tlie out-patient department a total attendance of over" 350,0o0, including -144,500 new patients, is recorded. Moreover, some 33,000 persons have been 'aitended gratuitoush' b}' the district medical officers. Tlie improvement observable during recent \’ears in the qualit}’ of the work done is largely to be attributed to the e-\cellencc of the course of education at the School of Medicine.

The two travelling ophthalmic hospitals visited Mansourah, Ghizeh, Beni Souef and Luxor during the year, working between them on 442 days. Over 7,000 new patients were treated, and the total number of attendances was 100,000, giving an average of 221 per working day in each hospital. More than one-third of those atteiuling for treatment were under 15 years of age. The popularity of the service amongst the fellaheen is of good augury for the future, and it ma}’’ be hoped that in time some appreciable effect will be produced on the mass of ophthalmia prevalent in this countrv.

At Tantah 5,000 new cases were dealt with in the permanent ophthalmic hospital, and there were 77,000 visits by’- patients under treatment. 1,763 nmjorand 2,418 minor operations were performed. The ophthalmic hospital at Assiout is nearly’ finished and will be ready during the year. The construction of the Mansourah hospital, the foundation of which was due to the generosity of Bedrawi Bey, a local notable, has not yet been put in hand. The plans have, how'ever, been approved, and it is hoped tliat \York will be begun this year.

Etfortsare being made to deal with ophthalmic cases in the Government schools, b}*-instructing tbe teachers, and through them the students, in some of the simple rules of hygiene.

The staff of this department is to he reinforced by an English inspector in view of the great increase of work; a suitable candidate has been found and will shortly be appointed.

35. L The accommodation at the Abbassieh asydum was raised from 877 beds to 947 during the year. Another block of 60 single rooms should be completed shortly, thus raising the number of beds to 1,007. In the meantime, as dangerous lunatics cannot be refused admission, overcrowding still exists, and on the 31st December tbe number in tbe asylum was 1,150, being 203 in excess of tbe establishment. Good progress has been made with the construction of the new asylum at Ivhauka. The first portion, which it is lioped to have ready by March 1911, will have accommodation for 240 patients. During 1909 546' patients were admitted to the Abbassieh asylum, 101 cases being due to pellagra and 43 to hashish. An investigation has been instituted into the causes of the former obscure disease, and the work is proceeding on much the same lines as liave been proposed in the case of the committee recently formed in Loudon to .study the subject. There seems little doubt that a connection exists between maize diet and the disease, though whether the coimection is of a causative or contributory nature remains to be proved.

36. P it is satisfactory to record a marked diminution in plague during 1909, especially ill .the more dangerous pneumonic, form. The total number of cases was 513, as compared with 1,511 in 1908, \yhile the number of deaths fell from 780 to 207.

The special organization established two years ago in the southern provinces for dealing with the -diseie has largely contributed towards this satisfactory result. Disinfecting stations with .the necessary appurtenances and a competent staff have now been supplied to each .Moudirieh, A supernumerary staff of trained disinfectci’s is kept in readiness at headquarters and a plague medical staff' has- been organized ready to proceed at .short notice to an infected locidity.

The campaign waged agaiust plague for the last ten years has been productive [384] D 4 House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.