European and Asiatic Turkey. 265 



^ opcratipn.. This is hard enough upon the poor surgeon, 

 who, to avoid more fatal consequences, is often obliged to pay 

 blood-money to appease the death of relativec. To ayoid these 

 consequences, the surgeon and one of the nearest relatives of 

 t}}e patient repair together to the cadi^ if it be a small, or to 

 the mufti if a large town, and obtain from him a protection 

 (fetwa), by which the surgeon is secured against all prosecu- 

 tion if the patient dies. Dr Oppenheim, himself, felt the force 

 Qi^j,t]pi^ iTurkish antipathy to the performers of unsuccessfcrf 

 operations. After the battle of Monastir, on the 24th August 

 1830, he amputated the leg of a wounded Deli*: the Delt 

 died. In a few months, Dr Oppenheim was sent by the Grand' 

 Vizier to inspect recruits at Pristina, and was invited to the 

 Iji/tpusc of the Cadi. 



■^'.-. " After the customary compliments, he asked me, ' Are you 

 physician to the Grand Vizier ? Did you operate on the Deli, 

 Soliman-Aga ?** I answered in the affirmative. ' Then,"* said 

 the Cadi, ' you behold here the father of Soliman-Aga, who 

 claims blood-money from you, which money it is most just yott^ 

 should pay him.'" ' 



Dr Oppenheim being sufficiently acquainted with the usages" 

 and manners of the Turks, and depending upon the protection 

 of the Vizier, was no way intimidated, and soon brought both 

 the Cadi and A^i^s^J^^^ UKJ^S^^hy^voewa&^oi^Jk^few 

 some threats, \ .rrno"} is!?,'^' n^.i ^yaibioooft brm t"^«i-^i'*« «i hn't^ 



When a physician has treated a patient who dies of internal 

 disease, he incurs no risk, unless the deceased held some import- 

 ant and lucrative government post ; in such eases, the relatives 

 and dependants of the deceased, being deprived by his death 

 of their station and emoluments, are apt to wreak their ven- 

 geance on the physician, who, however, generally takes care to be 

 ou|;jQ|f) the way on such occasions. At other times, medical men 

 are employed to give opinions, concerning not the living but 

 the dead I This may appear strange, but it is the fact, and it 

 is for such opinions that they are sure to be best paid, for they 

 have it in their power to make what conditions they please with 

 their employ^.,/ I»,!Twrkey„ wheoeveF a governor of a pro- 



• t'ho BelJs form the flower of the Turlcish cavalry, and their name means 

 . madman. They are so called from their frantic impetuosity in battle. 



