Page 171 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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Small-pox i'b responsible for a considerable number of the cases of blindness
among children.
Even among the hoalthy, the standard of sight is low, as demonstrated by
number of rejections of applicants for driving-licenses, and of recruits for the police,
after eye-tests.
In general it may be said that the great majority of cases of disease of the eye
are preventable or could be arrested by treatment. Dirt, neglect, under-nourishment
and ignorance are the precursors of these tragic cases, and only with improvement
in general living condition and with education can improvement come.
Diseases of the skin. All sorts of skin disease particularly ulceration of the
legs, are extremely common (18% of dispensary pts:).
These conditions obtain particularly among the poor classes and among
labourers ; their cause is dirt, neglect and undernourishment. Constitutional disease,
such as malaria and syphilis are often contributory factors in their causation. Ulcers
of the leg are slow to heal and responsible for much disability.
Dysentery. (5 % ) All forms are endemic throughout the island. Dysentery
is a fairly common cause of death among the old, and is probably responsible for a
very high mortality among the new-born : the exact exteud of the latter it is difficult
to estimate, at present,
Lack of sanitation, inadequate disposal of refuse, profuse breeding of flies, and
the primitive habits of the people are responsible for the endirnicity of this disease.
Enteric. A number of cases of this disease have been reported during the
year in Manama and Muharraq. This disease appears to be on the increase in
Bahrain recently, according to local medical opinion; remarks concerning the causa­
tion of dysentery are applicable to typhoid : the present conditions in the towns are
very favourable for the occurance of an epidemic.
Venereal disease. All forms of venereal disease are seen. Unfortunately
patients are inclined to present themselves only for treatment during the
more acute stages of their complaints and fail to attend regularly so as to effect a
proper cure : the disease lies latent in the sufferer giving rise to remote symptoms,
and is transmitted to others.
The problem of the actual amount of disease present in Bahrain, will receive
more detailed investigation when facilities for laboratory examinations are available.
Tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is comparatively common in Bahrain : nearly
all the cases seen are of a severe type and are often fatal.
Pulmonary tuberculosis is common among adults (3 cases occured among the
police, during the last year) and tuberculosis of glands and bone is seen among the
children :- the latter probably bovine in origin and conveyed by infected milk.
The problem presented by this serious disease is not an easy one :- climate,
racial susceptibility, introduced infection and immunity lowered by malnutrition and
co-existing disease are all ictiological factors to be considered ; pearl-diving is said to
predispose to tuberculosis. From a practical point of view, better conditions of life
and nutrition, with reduction in the incidence of such constitutional disease as
malaria and syphilis are the measures most likely to have a beneficial effect on this
disease : the construction of a special institution for the treatment and isolation of
tuberculous patients should receive consideration in the future.
Diseases of the Respiration (excluding pulmonary tuberculosis) : 5%.
Pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma are included under this category; the latter
condition being particularly common among the Persian section of the community.
The high humidity, and the extremes of temperature ocourriug, are probably respon­
sible for the frequency of these diseases. Pneumonia is not infrequently fatal.
Small-pox. This disease is endemic iu the island. Cases rarely present
themselves at the dispensaries for treatment during the active stage, but the