Page 154 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

so ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULP

manifested on different occasions by his prompting the local authorities to enquire
into and question any trifling innovation made by the clerk in charge. The latter
has for the greater part of the year lived in tents pitched close to the condemned
cable house, whence he transmits and receives messages for the Consulate only.
Public Health and Quarantine.—No serious epidemic has occurred in the
district, but cases of small-pox have been very common in the town. Malarial
fever has been more than usually prevalent among the native inhabitants and
there has been no diminution in the number of cases of guinea-worm, caused,
it is thought, by the indifferent water supply.
The Charitable Dispensary has continued in the charge of the Quarantine
Medical Officer and has doubtless proved of considerable benefit to the poorer
inhabitants of the town. At the same time, the advisabilty of placing the
equipment for a charitable dispensary in the hands of a subordinate who is not
precluded from taking fees and engaging in private practice, is thought to be
open to question, while the fact that in this case, the individual is the Quarantine
Medical Officer and as such is the servant of the Persian Sanitary Administra­
tion, has the effect of concealing the source of the benevolence from those
visiting the dispensary and thus there results no political influence. However,
with the completion of the new Consulate buildings and dispensary" and the
appointment of a Hospital Assistant to reside at the Consulate, these defects will
disappear automatically.
Assistant Snrgeon Brumby was in charge of the local quarantine up to the
3rd September, when he was relieved by Assistant Surgeon Montgomery.
Both at Bunder Abbas and Lingah. the Quarantine Medical Officers have
latterly experienced considerable obstruction from the Russian Consul, in the
discharge of their duties, the Russian’s attitude being evidently inspired with the
hope that any action taken by him would serve as an attack upon the British
Administration of Gulf quarantine generally. On the 27th December, M. Belayew
boarded the Russian S. S. Trouver in advance of the Quarantine Medical Officer
and acting on oiders received from the Russian Consul, prevented Assistant Surgeon
Montgomery from boarding the ship and carrying out his duties. Later on. acting
under instructions from the Russian Consul, the Captain of the Russian S. S.
Euphrates refused to accept a certificate of pratique from the Quarantine Officer,
unless such certificate were rendered in French or Persian. Early in March a
Russian Consulate employe boarded the mail S. S. Madura, notwithstanding the
fact that she was flying the quarantine flag. On the deck, he was confronted by a
quarantine guard whereupon he struck and abused the latter and then returned
to bis boat. Cn the Assistant Surgeon requesting the Russian Consul to send his
man to quarantine he was met by a blank refusal and a counter-charge of assault
was proffered against the guard. Instances such as these, all point to the necessity
for a commissioned officer being placed in charge of the local quarantine, an official
who would be in a position to enforce the regulations and to prevent the administra­
tion of the Gulf quarantine being held up to ridicule and scored off through the
medium of a man who by reason of his meagre education can hardly he expected to
display that firmness and initiative so essential in order to combat such an expe­
rienced obstructionist as is the present Russian Consul.
Slave Trade.—Out of 130 applications for manumission, 89 received freedom
certificates at Bunder Abbas and 26 certificates were forwarded by the Consulate
for defiveiy to the slaves who had taken refuge in the British Agency at Lingah.
There vrere no instances of direct slave-dealing in Bunder Abbas or its
immediate vicinity, bnt there was one case of a suspicious nature in wnic o
Shaikh of Eenjam appeared to be involved ; unfortunately, however, the informs n
disappeared while the matter was under investigation and no definite proo co
afterwards be obtained.
Ben jam A fairs Much perturbation and unrest existed among the Arabs of
Hen}am at the commencement of the year, owing to the expressed intention o
Customs authorities to build a Customs-House on the Island. The wo ?
however, finally abandoned, the Customs perforce contenting themselves wi
mat hut established within the limits of the British Telegraph Station. ^
CostcanB Mudir has not ventured to interfere in any way with the Arab vuiage