A Visit To The British Ophthalmic Hospital, Jerusalem.

the laundry and bath room ; while to our left is another very large and lofty archway , with a floor slightly raised , and neatly enclosed from the outer courtyard b y' a railing . We enter here and introduce ourselves to ihe doctor , and under his guidance we proceed to make a tour of the building . The upper floor consists of private rooms , all opening directly from a stone-paved , arched corridor , leading to a broad terrace , from which a

magnificent view is obtained of the surrounding country . Descending from this with our host , we enter the wards which have been set apart for male patients . These are six in number , and can be arranged to accommodate J 6 men , but are intended for io only , except in case of emergency . Passing through the iron door , under the covered archway , a small room is pointed out as the disinfecting chamber , where , by means of intense moist heat , all

clothing and bedding are purified . The bath room and laundry are next pointed out . We are then conducted to the three wards set apart for female patients ; and , as in the case of the male wards , these can receive a larger number on an emergency , but in case of a preponderance of females at any time a further arrangement has been made by which one ward for two patients can be subtracted from the male Hospital , and put in communication with the female wards . Descending again to the courtyard , we are

led into the out-patients' department , which consists of a spacious waiting room , clean and airy , yet shady , with a stone floor , and opening by a side door into the consulting room . Passing from these we are shown the kitchen , a fine and commodious chamber with a large fire-place . The water supply is obtained for drinking and cooking purposes from a large cistern , as is usual in this country , while for other domestic purposes a never failing supply is had from the acqueductof Solomon , which runs through the estate and close behind the house .

The doctor points out to us that by the foregoing arrangements he has all his departments close at hand and easy of access , yet each entirely separated and shut off from the others . The male wards , female wards , out-patients' department , kitchen , laundry and private rooms , are all detached from each other . The female wards especially are well situated for their purpose , having a large balcony to themselves overlooking the valley , whilst everything else necessary is quite separate from the rest of the house , and perfect privacy is obtained .

The last room visited is the doctor ' s study , which we find to be thc centre of the establishment , all the keys of the house , some 40 or more in number , being kept here—together with all the books , medical instruments , papers , accounts , & c , of the Institution . Next day , being one of the regular out-patients' days , we had an invitation to be present during the morning , which we gladly accepted . The

Hospital is thrown open to all comers three days every week—Monday , Wednesday , and Friday-, the other days being set apart—Thursday as the operation day , Tuesday and Saturday for special cases and those requiring prolonged examination . Next morning , then , at eight o ' clock , we appear , making our way to the gate through a dense and motley crowd of all nations and

classes—Christians , Jews from all parts of the world , Moslems , Bedouins , and Fellaheen . Amongst them there are faces of all kinds and degrees of colour , from black to white , and we hear many strange and different dialects spoken . Some of these people , we are told , have been waiting for hours already ; however , 9 a . m . is the time fixed . On entering we find thc attendants putting the waiting room in order forthe day and arranging the benches , the interpreter

being also in attendance . Presently the doctor arrives , and having given a look round to see that all is ready , orders the door to be opened . The attendants take their places by the door , one having a box with cards under his arm , while the interpreter stands by to observe and regulate this part of the work . One of the greatest difficulties which has had to bc overcome was how to keep the patients in order ; naturally unruly ,

turbulent , and unaccustomed to anything like discipline , the entrance of a crowd such as this was found to be merely a question of physical force—the weakest going to the wall . However , the difficulty has been ingeniously overcome . Most of the people being illiterate , numbers or figures are of no use ; besides , each day a certain proportion of them would surely be lost , and such was found to be the case . The attendant has a series of small

variously coloured and differently shaped cards , arranged in tens . As the first person enters , according to sex , he or she receives one of these until the first ten are exhausted , when another series commences , and soon—men and women getting different sorts of cards . In the waiting room the attendant singles out five patients of the first detachment , and places them in readiness to enter the doctor ' s room . Let us suppose that we commence with women—they are followed by five men—again , five women , then five men ,

and so on till all are admitted in turn . This arrangement is found to work extremely well , and perfect order is maintained without difficulty , as any turbulence , noise , or disobedience is punished by the doctor himself , who deprives the offender of his turn , and places him among the last to be seen . The attendant knows in what order he issued , the cards , so that it is useless for anyone to try to usurp the place of another . " First come first served " is the rule , and there is no exception made in any case—each must take his or her right turn .

At length the door is opened , when all at once there is a hubbub—each forcing forwards ; however , this is in vain , as the attendants only allow the patients to pass singly , giving each a card . If it be observed that anyone is jostling or pushing , especially if it be a man , he is marked and reported , when probably he is put among the last to be seen . This practice , we are informed , has proved very salutary , and now it is the rarest possible occurrence for any confusion to take place . The patients now pass into the waiting room , to take their turns for being

seen . With the doctor we enter the consulting room and take seats close by him , being warned that we are not to be surprised if he gives us a hint to retire in thc event of any Moslem women entering , as he rigidly respects their customs and prejudices in this respect . He says , however , that he does not anticipate any difficulty , as the women usually unveil before him

without any trouble or hesitation . All being ready , the doctor touches his bell , when the first batch of five patients enter—females—two Moslems , one Jewess , and two Fellaheen . The first has cataract , and is preparing for operation ; then comes one suffering from some affection of the eye-lids , which we learn is of very common occurrence in the country . The next

case is one of a simple character , nnd is soon disposed of . This is followed by a young peasant woman , who carne for the first time ; the face is covered —an unusual thing for the Fellaheen—but on being removed two sightless eye-balls are presented , the cornea ; being covered wilh dense white patches effectually preventing vision . This case receives a careful examination , after which the doctor app lies something to thc inside of the eye-lids , re-

A Visit To The British Ophthalmic Hospital, Jerusalem.

marking that this is one of those pitiable cases where vision * has been lost entirely for want of timely treatment , and lhat according to thc effect produced by what has just been applied , will there be the slightest chance of any vision ever being restored ; his opinion being unfavourable . In the next case tlie eye is acutely inflamed and dreadful to us lo see ; the patient says but little , and on being asked If she knows of any cause , simply remarks Min Allahi

" , ' . e ., " God ' s pleasure . " After looking carefully for a second or two the doctor inverts the upper lid , and to our astonishment removes a piece of straw imbedded almost entirely . The poor woman appears almost more astonished than we are ourselves , and we are glad to be told that she will be again all right in the cour ; e of a few days . This completes the number , each of whom , after the doctor has finished , passes over to the dispensary , where they receive their applications , dispensed under his own observation .

Again thc bell sounds , when five men are ushered in . A Jew , a Mussulman of good standing , two Bedouins , and a Christian . The first has chronic ophthalmia of long standing , and has undergone a good deal of maltreatment , aggravated to a great extent by intensely dirty habits ; however , he is now very much improved . The next—the

Mussulman—appears very grateful , aud we are told that , although now but little seem ? to be amiss , he was in a very bad state when first admitted , ond in the greatest danger of losing his remaining eye , having lost the other some years previously from a similar attack ; the doctors " calls it " an eye saved . "

Now came the Bedouins , wild-looking and untutored , dirty to a degree , and evidently not much accustomed to come near the haunts of civilisation . They come from the desert , far to the South of the Dead Sea , near Petra , and have arrived during the night . Both are serious cases , and both nearly blind , having been of long-standing and neglected . The " Hakim " says if they can be brought to stay a few days , and carry out the treatmentthey

, will do very well . But the great difficulty he finds wilh such people , is that they expect to be cured at once in one visit without treatment , and arc very apt to return home after a few days not much improved . However , these say they will remain as long as the " Hakim" desires , wishing to stay in thc Hospital ; to this the " Hakim " to his greatjregret is compelled to tell them he cannot accede , the Hospital not yet being in a fit condition for

indoor patients . These are succeeded by five women , an admirable arrangement , as it proves . One of these was a poor ] Fellah woman wilh two children ; one an intelligent looking boy of three-and-a-half years , who has been seen before , and who the doctor says is hopelessly and helplessly blind , from blundering treatment by a native " Hakim ; " the eyes were both slightly

inflamed , some powerful caustic having been used , which had only aggravated the inflammation and destroyed vision entirely , both eye-balls being collapsed and sightless . The poor mother brings her baby to-day , and lays it before the doctor imploringly , asking him to look at the infant ' s eyes to see if they are all

right , and if there be anything wrong with them ; he informs her that the infant is quite well , and the eyes are as perfect as possible ; this puts the mother ' s mind at ease , and with a few directions , especially enforcing cleanliness , she is passed on . It was most affecting to see how anxiously and imploringly she looked for the doctor ' s opinion .

1 ' ive men next appear ; the first , who came in smiling , was one who had to be led about for some years , but has had sight restored by a recent operation , and comes to-day to show himself and express his gratitude . The doctor says that he has now a large number of cases , all of which require operation , but that want of funds to complete his ward prevents

hirn doing more than a few which do not need admission as in-patients . This goes on all the morning , till over eighty patients have been attended to ; all varying , some of the most serious character , some slight , most neglected hitherto , but all requiring and here receiving proper treatment and advice . Sometimes the daily attendance amounts to as many as one hundred and fifty .

A great many cases were pointed out where serious affections had been cured , but still kept under observation . Several have only come when past the remediable stage and nothing further can be done . But lately a large proportion present themselves in an early stage , and the doctor says these cases keep increasing . That the patients are grateful to a degree is obvious

to any ordinary observer , and their appreciation evidenced by the patience with which they wait their turn for hours sometimes . One may also judge this by the distance from which patients come , for example from such widely apart places as Damascus and Petra , Gaza , Jaffa , Samaria , Nablus , Safid , Tiberias , from east of the Jordan , and indeed all parts of the country .

What struck us especially was the perfect order maintained throughout , notwithstanding the'heterogenous composition ol" the crowd ; a great difference , the doctor tells us , from his first experiences , when a free fight for places was of common occurrence . But rigid adherence to the principle of " no respect of persons " has had its effect , and now , knowing that it is of no use to push forward , they go very quietly . A great improvement has also been observed in the habits of the patients themselves , as they find

they are not allowed to present themselves in a dirty slate . Another rule never departed from is that no medicine or application will be supplied in a dirty bottle or vessel of any kind . At first there was great trouble in this respect ; now there is but little , and the strictness with which cleanliness in every form is enforced , whether in regard to the person , to the eyes , or to . the remedies , appear to us to be one of the most useful and commendable features of the work .

The amount of good that has alread y been done it is impossible to estimate ; much seed has "been sown of which the result has not yet fully appeared ; what estimation the Hospital stands in is evidenced by the great and increasing number of patients—two thousand in ten months ! Thc total attendances having amounted to nine thousand ! How highly its work and necessity is appreciated by the Turkish Government is shown by the munificent gift of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan , who has purchased and

presented to the Order the splendid site they now occupy . Besides meeting a much needed want , there can be no two opinions that the Order has acted wisely and well in establishing its Hospital , as of old , on an unsectarian basis . The Order has taken a most important step in forwarding civilisation , as by extending the benefits of the Institution to all alike , without intcrferring with or even referring lo their religious views , they bring the blessings and good effects of civilisation prominently before thc people themselves and so induce them to adopt it . In conclusion we must say that few visits made during our stay in Pales-, tine afforded us such genuine and unmixed pleasure as this ,