Page 26 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

14
APPENDIX I,

Note on tiie working of the Residency Dispensary, Busiiire, for the year 1931.
Major H. J. H. Symons, I.M.S., held charge of the appointment of Residency Surgeon
from 1st January to 9th August and from 21st October to 31st December 1931.
First Class Assistant Surgeon M. L. A. Steele, I.M.D., was in sub-charge of the Dispensary
from 1st January to 25th June and from 11th November to 31st December 1931. Second
Class Assistant Surgeon R. Eascy, I.M.D., ofliciated as sub-charge of the Residency Dispen­
sary during the absence on leave of Assistant Surgeon M. L. A. Steele and during the absence on
leave of Major H. J. H. Symons, Assistant Surgeon Easey also held charge of the appointment
of Residency Surgeon.
Sub-Assistant Surgeon Jemadar Mohammed Ali Najmi was in sub-charge of the out-patient
department from 1st January until 23rd November 1931, from which date the post was
abolished.
Climatically the first ten months of the year showed little departure from the normal but
malaria seemed more prevalent than in 1930, though fewer cases of the cerebral variety were
met with than in that year.
The number of in-patient and out-door attendances, in comparison with those of 1930
■'re as follows

In-patients, Out-patients, Operations,
1930 67 9,346 235
1931 49 13,136 279

From these figures it will be seen that there was a considerable increase in the number of
out-patient attendances. This increase was in part due to the occurrence of a larger number
of malaria and non-malarial fevers, in part due to an epidemic of influenza in the final six weeks
of the year and again in part due to including attendances of the staff and their families of the
P. W. D., E. & M. Section at Dastak, Prior to March 1931, these individuals attended the
Dispensary of the Indo-European Telegraph Department at Reshire and their numbers were
not included in previous annual reports. Since 1st March 1931 these employees have been
attended to by the Residency Surgeon.
The total of operations increased by 44 in comparison with 1930, but operations classified
as major operations fell from 69 to 43, The absence of the Residency Surgeon for two months
may be considered as the principal cause of this decrease.
Failure of the usual winter rains in November and December and a few days of unusually
cold weather with a biting north wind was a contributory cause of a severe epidemic of influenza
during the last six weeks of the year. During this epidemic a, very high percentage of cases of
influenza developed Lobar and Broncho-pneumonia, Owing to the early contraction of Lobar-
pneumonia by the hospital compounder, who eventually happily recovered, a great strain was
put on the whole of the medical staff during these six weeks of 1931 and, it may be added, the
first six weeks of 1932.
In the town the epidemic really created alarm and pneumonia carried off several hundreds
of the aged and infirm, who, ill-equipped with clothing which oould give any measure of warmth
housed in buildings more fitted to let in air than to keep out piercing north winds, and enfeebled
by recurrent attacks of malaria throughout their lives, were on that account unable to put
up sufficient resistance to so virulent an infection.
With reference to the note appended to last year’s report concerning the Bushire Charitable
Hospital it may be recorded that one hears many complaints against the inadequacy of the
treatment accorded by the present oflicer in charge, Muniri, and his staff. The municipality are
so dissatisfied that they have debated opening a municipal dispensary on the grounds that no
medicines are to be had at the Charitable Hospital. They have also considered offering salaried
employment for some hours a day to Sub-Assistant Surgeon Jemadar Mohammed Ali
Najmi, I.M.D., (Retired), who is now carrying out private practice in Bushire, though the
nationalist element in the Baladich is opposed to employing a foreigner.
Considering the present conditions of medjeal education in Persia it is not understood
from where the nationalist elements In the Baladieji consider they would get anyone more satis­
factory than Munjri apd it is probable that the proposal will come to nought.