DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11638#0071
AND LOWER EGYPT. 57
would pass here for a blockhead ; he would even
find himself very much embarrassed. In truth,
what could he say to a patient who would only pre-
sent him his pulse to feel, who would not reply to
any one of his questions, and who would refuse to
point out what part of his body he felt out of or-
der ? If the skilful physician should appear to hesi-
tate upon the mere beating of the artery, respect-
ing the nature of a disease; if he should allow him-
self to interrogate the sick man ; if he attempted
to enter into fine and long reasonings, sometimes
as obscure to him who listened, as to him who ut-
ters them, there is no room to doubt he would be
rejected as a man destitute of knowledge, unwor-
thy of confidence, or of the name of a physician.
What would become of him, if, stedfast in the prin-
ciples and in the practice of his art, he were to
prescribe some of those remedies so much prized
in Europe, and which are not taken by the mouth ?
He would be attacked in the most violent manner,
and he might esteem himself happy, if, in his en-
deavours to escape, he came off with his life. The
Egyptians, as well as the Turks, hold remedies of
this sort in abomination, and a proposal to make
use of them is, in their eyes, an insult of the most
serious kind. I never can forget the adventure
which befell a French surgeon belonging to a ves-
sel which anchored in one of the ports of Cara-
mauia. The Turkish Aga, commander in that
place,
would pass here for a blockhead ; he would even
find himself very much embarrassed. In truth,
what could he say to a patient who would only pre-
sent him his pulse to feel, who would not reply to
any one of his questions, and who would refuse to
point out what part of his body he felt out of or-
der ? If the skilful physician should appear to hesi-
tate upon the mere beating of the artery, respect-
ing the nature of a disease; if he should allow him-
self to interrogate the sick man ; if he attempted
to enter into fine and long reasonings, sometimes
as obscure to him who listened, as to him who ut-
ters them, there is no room to doubt he would be
rejected as a man destitute of knowledge, unwor-
thy of confidence, or of the name of a physician.
What would become of him, if, stedfast in the prin-
ciples and in the practice of his art, he were to
prescribe some of those remedies so much prized
in Europe, and which are not taken by the mouth ?
He would be attacked in the most violent manner,
and he might esteem himself happy, if, in his en-
deavours to escape, he came off with his life. The
Egyptians, as well as the Turks, hold remedies of
this sort in abomination, and a proposal to make
use of them is, in their eyes, an insult of the most
serious kind. I never can forget the adventure
which befell a French surgeon belonging to a ves-
sel which anchored in one of the ports of Cara-
mauia. The Turkish Aga, commander in that
place,