64 PRELIMINARIES 



brigades enter every house in the town regularly 

 every week. In consequence, cesspools and base- 

 ments have been rebuilt, houses rendered more sani- 

 tary, the death-rate has fallen, and mosquitos and 

 fevers practically abolished ; and there has been no 

 opposition. But no sanitary by-laws have been en- 

 forced there are none to enforce. Persuasion must 

 be the keynote. Do not force, but persuade. Port 

 Said contained among its inhabitants the most ignor- 

 ant and perhaps the lowest form of humanity both 

 European and native extant. Yet their opposition 

 and prejudice to sanitary matters and measures were 

 overcome by persuasion- not by force. We could 

 not force we had not the power. There are no 

 sanitary laws in Egypt worthy of the name. We 

 were forced to persuade. 



The next preliminary is to engage the personnel 

 of the mosquito brigades. The foremen must be 

 respectable men ; and there should be one for each 

 gang of workmen. It is better to begin with one gang 

 first, consisting of a foreman and three or four men, 

 and to confine their work to one small quarter of the 

 town. Then, when they have learned the work, to 

 extend operations with another gang, and so on until 

 the whole town is being completed every week, and 

 every house visited. 



Apply to some local labour contractors and tell 

 them of the want. Ask them to recommend a 

 respectable and honest man for the post of " mousti- 

 quier," or foreman. Preference should be given to a 

 man living or having a family in the town ; one who 



