the
shade during the whole time of the Battalion's stay. Furthermore, a
number of hats had been lost overboard during the voyage from Fremantle.
There were no present means of replacing these; meanwhile, men were in
daily danger of heat stroke. It was decided, therefore, to clothe all
the troops in khaki cotton shorts (trousers reaching only to the knees),
linen shirts, and pith helmets. These they wore with the ordinary
underclothing and with boots and puttees. This issue was completed
within ten days of arrival. It added considerably to the comfort of the
individual and the dress in itself was not unattractive. One individual
of French extraction refused for some unknown reason to wear the shorts.
He was proof against persuasion and eventually had to be removed from
the Battalion and given an opportunity for fuller reflection.

Perhaps it was inevitable that the drastic change from the Australian to
the Egyptian climate, soil, and conditions of life, should adversely
affect the health of the individual. At any rate such turned out to be
the case, and for the first ten days after arrival at Abbasia there were
some 130 to 150 men out of action each day. The principal causes were an
acute form of diarrhoea and tonsilitis. Amongst others were severe
colds, septic hands, knees, and feet, ophthalmia, and two or three
slight cases of heat stroke. Measles did not re-appear after the landing
at Suez, although the camp was placed in quarantine for 14 days and
visits to the neighbouring towns were forbidden. After the tenth day the
number of cases reporting to the medical officer began to decrease and
by the 20th July had dropped to 50, about which figure it remained
during the following few weeks. One death occurred--that of
Lance-Corporal J. K. Quick, of "B" Company, who succumbed to pneumonia
on the 14th August whilst a patient in No. 1 Australian General
Hospital.

To assist in the preservation of health everyone was encouraged to lie
down during the heat of the day, to keep the hair of the head cut short,
make frequent use of the shower baths, and consume no liquor, except
such as could be obtained within the camp. Undoubtedly the root cause of
many of the ailments was the pollution of the desert soil. One had only
to observe the habits of the natives to become aware that the earth of
Cairo and its environs was saturated with the filth of ages. This was
stirred up by the feet of the infantrymen in training and by the horse