Page 348 - PERSIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION REPORTS V1

100 A I) MIMI ST It AT ION ItKPOUT OF TUB PfiASIAN GU1.H POLITICAL RKSIDKN'CY

prevail to the greatest extent, and aro often complicated, though mildly
with congestions of the spleen and liver. The early part of the hot
h.msdu m; iy lie considered to be about the healthiest, time of the year;
but when that season is fairly established, the system suffers from
general depressions and malaise; and during tho prevalence of the hot
ami dry shumal insolatio is apt to occur.
Water supply.—The valley of Tuyan to tho south-west of the town
contains a number of wells from which it derives its name. The wells
;»re mostly deep and sunk in the conglomerate formation, which here, as
well as in the town, forms the subsoil; they supply water to the town and
t lie small hamlets in the neighbourhood. The quantity thus supplied has
always been considered sufficient, both for domestic and drinking pur­
poses; and even in the hottest weather no fear is entertained of the supply
being unequal to the demand. The water is generally brought into the
town by negroes in mnsuks on their backs; and the water of one large
well, which is guarded by a small fort for military reasons, is conducted
into the town by means of an aqueduct; this water, not being considered
lit for drinking, is generally applied to bathing and washing purposes and
fur the use of animals. Beside these wells there are two or three in the
town itself, the water they supply being rather indifferent; they are not
much used at present, hut in the event of a long seige, they are the only
source of water the town has to depend upon.
I regret not having had the means to analyse the water chemically,
hut from the general physical qualities the water supplied for drinking
purposes may he considered good. It is soft, free from solid organic
matter, and has a pleasant taste. As the town and the valley outside,
in which the wells are situated, are on a slope, ami as the wells occupy
about the highest point of this incline, there is not much fear of the
water supply becoming contaminated with organic and other affective
matters. The rain water (when there is a heavy shower) in the valley
runs down into the sea almost as fast as it falls, and the conservancy
outside Wing of the most primitive kind, the subsoil is little affected.
Food.—Food is plentiful and easily procurable. The poorer and work­
ing classes live, as a rule, on dates, fish and rice, which are all abundant.
The higher classes who live on rice, wheat, fish, and occasionally meat, can
«-asily obtain all their wants and luxuries. Fruit and most of the Indian
vegetables are plentiful and to be had during the greater part of the year.
Fresh limes are very common, and are greatly used by the natives, both as
a driuk in the shape of sherbet and with their food; this, together with the
large use of vinegar they make, may account to 6ome extent for their
freedom from scurvy and scorbutic diseases. Intestinal worms are also
very uncommon; the only cases of tape-worm that have come under my
ol>scrvation have been amongst Bedouin-Arabs, who generally come from
the interior. The nourishment the different classes derive from the
different kinds of food they live upon is sufficient; this is particularly
so with regard to the labouring classes, the Beloochcs and Negroes.
Their food principally consists of rice, fish and dates; and they
quite capable of undergoing a great amount of exertion. With regard
to the higher classes, tho physical power is generally low; this docs no
arise from any defect in the food, but is principally due to i want o
exorcise and ont-door life, and also to certain habits from which tne