One ward is occupied by wounded officers; another by the non-commissioned officers. Two more wards are set apart for patients suffering from dysentery. Operation cases are assembled in a special chamber adjoining the theatre. Three comfortable English hospital tents erected in the garden serve as accommodation for convalescents who have to vacate their beds in the palace when an unexpected influx of sick or wounded prisoners takes place. All the wards are clean and well kept; at the head of each bed is a medical chart detailing the illness and the temperature.
_Sickness._--Since March 17, 1915, the date of its foundation, up to the day of our visit, the Egyptian Red Cross Hospital has treated 2,245 wounded or sick prisoners.
There are at the present time 149 prisoners under treatment, 8 Ottoman officers and 141 soldiers, distributed as follows:
Surgical cases (wounds): 66; among them 13 invalids and 6 who have undergone amputation and have been detained a long time in the hospital.
Internal ailments: 38; we may mention among the most serious cases of this kind noticed by us, 4 suffering from bilious haemoglobinurea, all from Bagdad; 6 from dysentery, anaemic and enfeebled patients; 4 from chronic nephritis.
Among the officers under treatment we may mention: 1 wounded right knee, 1 scalp wound, 1 compound fracture of the thigh, 1 neck wound, 1 bullet wound in the chest, 1 bullet wound in the face, all recent cases coming from El Arish.
Number Number Cause of Death. of Deaths of Deaths in 1915. in 1916. Surgical cases 30 17 Pleurisy 2 5 Dysentery 8 19 Typhoid 1 1 Pericarditis 1 2 Pneumonia 3 11 Pulmonary tuberculosis -- 26 Intestinal tuberculosis -- 21 Nephritis -- 5 Gangrene -- 1 Hepatitis -- 1 Pernicious anaemia -- 1 --- --- Total 45 110 === ===
The dead were buried in the Musulman cemetery with military honours, such comrades as were well enough attending the ceremony.
This camp occupies the curious Jewel-Palace, one of the monuments of the citadel, and contains only women and children coming from Hedjaz, who were captured near Mecca.
Women and Children. 1st convoy of 123 September 11, 1916 2nd " " 66 October 16, 1916 3rd " " 26 " 28, 1916 4th " " 82 November 7, 1916 5th " " 132 " 29, 1916