Page 721 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

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POR THE YEAR 191».
(1) Tho Joint Co^rt,’1 consisting of llio Political Agent or bis Indian
Assistant, and a representative*/ of Shaikh Isa tho Ruler. This Court now sits
in the upper room of the Shaikh’s Customs House, Manama. On each We lnes-
day cases in which one party is a British or protected subject and the other a
Bahrain subject, are tried.
A largo number of cases were satisfactorily settled during 1919 by this
Court, in spito of tko fact that more often than not the Shaikh s representative
(especially Shaikh Abadullah, Shaikh Isa s youngest son) took up the cause of
his Father’s subject in approved advocate style.
(2) The Majlis-al-Urfi, o*- the Court of representative merchants of stand­
ing, for purpose of trying Mercantile cases. This Court used to sit in the
Agency prior to the enforcement of the Order-iu-Council. To-day it also sits
in the Customs House every W ednesday. For many months the Majlis-al-
XJrfi abstained from sitting owing to Shaikh Isa abusing his privileges and
dismissing a member without consulting the Political Agent. As Shaikh Isa
refused to adn»ic himself wrong, the Political Agent in turn refused to allow
tho Court to ui(ct, vide paragraph II above.
The other Courts existing are :—
The Salifa Court Judge Mohamed bin Fazil.
The Qnzi’8 Court Shaiku Qasim bin Meliza.
The Salifat-al-Bahr (Marine Court), Judge Mubarak bin narnad.
During the year these Courts r.ariied out the work expected of them fairly
well.
XVIII.— Climate.—Rainfall during 1919 was up to the average. The
hpat as usual was terribly trying, especially during the months of May, June,
July and August.
Captain Bray, M.C., the late Political Agent found the heat too much lor
him, and probably his illness was aggravated by the fierce weather of May and
J une.
No rain guage or thermometer was kept in the Agency during 1919. It
is regrettod, therefore, that no figures showing rainfall or temperature can be
reported.
This fault is being remedied, the necessary instruments have now been
ordered. One of the mest trying features of the Bahrain climate is the damp­
ness of the atmosphere. In summer this makes a temperature of as low as 95°
or 98° almost unbearable. Added to tho above, is the extraordinary variation
of temperature which changes as much as 25° to 3u° within 24 hours. These
sudden ohanges are mostly responsible for Bahrain’s bad epidemics of fever.
XIV.—jEpidemic and Quarantine.—During the year under review Assist­
ant Surgeon G. K. Monani, L. M. & S., has been in charge of ^ Quarantine and
town sanitation, in addition to the Medical charge of tho Victoria Memorial
Hospital,
Streueous work was done during the influeuza epidemic, which commenced
at about tne beginning of November 1918 and ■'ended in Jauuary 1920; The
epidemic passed over the towns of Manama, Muharraq and Hadd, affecting
almost e- cry household to a greater or less extent. All the members of the A1
Khalifah family ivere affected with the disease including Ilis Excellency Shaikh
Isa. All of them were treated by Assistant Surgeon G. K. Monani. His
Excellency tho Shaikh was affected with Broncho-Pucumonia and his condi­
tion was critical and although lie got over the iilness with, due care, the
convalescence was prolonged and left him very weak till the advent of spring.
The whole epidemic was dealt with single-handed, the Mission Hospital
being closed. Assistance was asked from Bushire but they could not spare
anyone. ^
This was also the year for tho probable recurrence of plague in Bahrain
which comes on every alternate year. Before the probable season for the
appearance of plague every effort was made to get the heaps of rubbish cleared
off from the bazaars and streots. A keen watoli was kept on die mortality of