Page 686 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1911.
84
His Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chiof paid two visits during
the year to Maskat. On the first occa-
1107 ,Ty’ sion, in the month of January, official
visits were exchanged between His Highness and His Excellency.
His Excellency arrived again on the 3rd May but did not land owing to
quarantine and left after a day’s stay.
All the other ships of the East Indies Squadron have been constantly in
and out of the port in connection with the Arms Traffic operations.
No foreign man-of-war visited Maskat
Foreign N»ry.
during the year under report.
The American Mission has been active throughout the year. Dr. Harri-
. son’s hospital at Muttra, in the begin-
ning of the year, charged no fees and
became therefore very popular. Miss j_utton too opened a small dispensary
in the Mission House at Maskat and paid frequent visits to the Sultan’s
harem and others, sometimes as a private visitor and sometimes as medical
adviser.
Dr. Harrison accompanied by Rahmat Uddin, a compounder, and an
American colporteur left for the interior of Oman, on the 24th January. He
was reported beyond Rostak in the beginning of April where cholera was
' prevalent, and he gave some medical relief to the sufferers. He returned, on
the 3rd May, but almost immediately left Muttra for Kuwait and the Mission
hospital at Muttra was closed for the summer until the arrival of Dr. Thoms,
in October.
On the 15th January, a heavy storm broke up 30 boats and one “ boom ”
on Muttra beach. Similar heavy
Weather and Rainf&lL
damage was reported from Gwadur
where Haji Musa, brother of the Native Assistant, was killed by the collapse
of his house. The rainfall for the year amounted to 3*98 inches. The hot
weather was late in coming but the heat in June and July was intense. The
heat in the latter mouth was also unduly prolonged, and Maskat did not
feel the benefit of the monsoon until the beginning of August. The highest
temperature recorded was 110-0° on the 21st June. The highest average day
temperature was 101-6° in the month of July, and the highest average night
temperature was 89-4° in the month of July. The lowest day temperature
recorded was 69-0° on the 23rd January, and the lowest night temperature
was 58-4° on 1st February.
Tables of temperature and rainfall are appended.

S. G. KNOX, Major,
Political Agent and His Britannic
Majesty's Consul, Maskat.
Maskat;
The 6th January 1912.

MASKAT HOSPITAL.

h'ote on the Maskat-Muttra Hospital by Captain N. N. G. C. McVean, M3.t
I.M.S., A gency Surgeon, Maskat.
The Maskat-Muttra Hospital remained open for the treatment of
patients throughout the year. It has now been in use for about fifteen
months and is a great improvement on the old hospital.
During the year under report over three thousand patients (including
150 in-patients) have been treated. Although excellent accommodation has
been provided for in-patients, the numbers remain low as the natives do not
take kindly to staying in hospital; few of them are able to make arrangements
for their own food while in hospital, and the funds available for the main"
tenance of pauper patients are very mtiaII.