S70 On the State of Medicine in 



are willing agents upon such occasions. In truth, no honest 

 person ought to engage himself as domestic physician to any 

 great man in Turkey, for if he be called on to poison, and re- 

 fuses, it may cost him his life. Of this I myself had a convin- 

 cing proof. The late campaign of the Turks against the Alba- 

 nians was brought to a successful conclusion, not by superior 

 courage, numbers, or discipline, but by craft and treachery. 

 Two of the most powerful foes of the Sultan, Whely-bey and 

 Asslan-bey, surnamed the Lion Chief, were invited, during a 

 truce, to witness a review of the Turkish regular troops, which 

 to them was a matter of great interest and novelty. The Vizier 

 had it so arranged that they were both shot dead as they were 

 passing in front of one of the battalions. The Vizier's son, 

 Emin, Pascha of Janina, ensnared and despatched some of his 

 most formidable opponents in a nearly similar manner at Janina. 

 One evening at levee, the Grand Vizier made a sign for me to 

 remain, and when all the courtiers had left the room, he ordered 

 in coffee, pipes, and a chess-board, and I then found myself 

 alone in company with a man who expected and received un- 

 conditional obedience from every one of his attendants, and at 

 whose nod more than one hundred thousand heads had fallen. 

 Having signified that I should be seated on the divan, he 

 smoked, but according to etiquette, I left my pipe untouched ; 

 and when we had made a few moves at chess, he raised his head, 

 looked fixedly into my eyes, and said, ' Hekim-Baschi, I have 

 enemies, you can and will assist me !' He then made the sign 

 for me to retire, which, of course, precluded the possibility of 

 my replying. I made my obeisance, and rode home greatly 

 agitated and alarmed, for the meaning of the Vizier's words 

 was but too intelligible. At that time I was attending two 

 Albanian chiefs of note, who were afraid to trust themselves to 

 the care of the Vizier's physician, and who had applied to me 

 as an officer of the staff for advice. The Vizier was aware of 

 this, and wished me to despatch my two patients. I revolved 

 in my mind the difficulties of my situation, and saw no other 

 method of escaping than by making large pecuniary sacrifices, 

 in the way of bribe, to the Vizier's avaricious Seraff, (Pay- 

 master), and his Grammatiko, (Secretary). In the mean time 

 I feigned sickness, and remained at home. T^^elve days had 



