The beds are iron with wire springs, the mattresses stuffed with vegetable fibre, the number of blankets not limited.

All the men have been vaccinated against smallpox and cholera.  We learned from the infirmary registers that 30-40 men attend daily at 8 o’clock, the doctor’s visiting hour.

The advanced age of many of the prisoners, who are suffering from chronic affections, accounts for this large attendance.

The day we visited the infirmary it contained 8 patients:  3 cases of malaria, 3 cases of bronchial pneumonia, and 2 cases of dysentery.

As soon as they arrived in camp 25 men were attacked with tertian malaria; 15 are cured, 10 are still being treated with quinine.  Of 7 attacked with dysentery 5 are now cured.

Ten men were suffering from trachoma and are still being treated with protargol.

There has been no typhoid fever, nor typhus, nor any other epidemic in the camp.

The serious cases are sent to the Egyptian hospital at Zagazig, where they are looked after by native doctors.  There are 4 prisoners now in hospital:  1 eye case, 1 of tuberculosis, 1 of bronchitis, and 2 feverish patients under observation.

Six prisoners have died in the hospital since the camp was established here.  One had tumour on the brain, 2 chronic enteritis, 1 tuberculosis, and 1 an intestinal obstruction.  The dead were buried with military honours and according to the rites of their religion.

Work.—­With the exception of fatigue duties, nothing is required from the prisoners besides a little light work in the gardens near the camp.  Some of them make small articles which are sold for their benefit.

Correspondence.—­The number of illiterates being very high (98 per cent.), letters are comparatively few.  The prisoners are allowed to write three times a week, and a certain number of them get more educated comrades to write for them.  Correspondence is practically impossible for those who belong to nomadic tribes.

Religion.—­Except one Copt, all the prisoners are Mahometans.  There are many imaums among them.  Religious exercises are practised freely and regularly.

Discipline and Behaviour.—­There are no complaints as to discipline, and no attempts to escape have taken place.  Despite racial diversities, few quarrels take place among the prisoners, and the authorities seldom need to interfere.  We spoke to an old and infirm sheik who is treated with particular regard and has a tent to himself; he told us that he is in every way satisfied.

CONCLUSIONS

The Red Cross International Committee, at Geneva, has since the beginning of the war organised visits to the camps of prisoners of war and of civilian prisoners in the various belligerent countries.

The members of the mission sent to Egypt, MM.  Dr. F. Blanched, E. Schoch, and F. Thormeyer, had already inspected camps in Germany, France, Morocco and Russia.  They may be allowed to compare the treatment of the Egyptian prisoners with what they had seen elsewhere.