European and Asiatic Turkey. 1 1 5 



pitations. I, of course, guessed that my patient was a female, 

 but, nevertheless, for several days refused to prescribe, until 

 told my patient's sex, age, appearance, &c. &c., alleging truly, 

 that without being made acquainted with these particulars, my 

 medicines might do more harm than good. My obstinacy ex- 

 torted from the Pascha a confession, that she was a lady about 

 thirty years of age, who had been ill nearly a year. Conjectur- 

 ing that her ailment was hysterical, I prescribed nervous 

 draughts ; but finding she did not improve, I soon refused to 

 send any more medicines. The credit I had obtained by the 

 cure of Kiaja-Bey's wife at last prevailed, and the Pascha ac- 

 knowledged that my patient was his own wife, and consented 

 that I should visit her. She resided at a considerable distance, 

 and when I arrived at the gate of the harem, I was kept wait- 

 ing outside for at least a quarter of an hour, in order that every 

 thing might be arranged and properly concealed from observa- 

 tion before I entered. When the gate was opened, I was re- 

 ceived by the matron of the harem, and conducted through the 

 house to a door, when we again stopped ; presently it was half 

 opened, and two tall negresses wearing veils came out, and 

 placed themselves one at each side of the door, which they again 

 nearly closed, leaving space enough to admit one''s arm. Through 

 this aperture a hand made its appearance, emaciated, and 

 painted of various colours ; the nails were stained bright yellow, 

 while each finger, as far as the first joint, was painted green on 

 the back, and black on its other side. I felt the pulse for some 

 time, but the moment I withdrew my finger from the wrist, the 

 hand and negresses vanished, and the door closed. I was now 

 called on for my diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of treatment. 

 It was in vain that I requested the matron to make me acquaint- 

 ed with other particulars of the case ; her invariable answer was, 

 thou hast felt the lady**s pulse, and must now know all ! At 

 last, after a persevering system of interrogatories and cross ex- 

 amination, I was enabled to elicit that the patient had a cough 

 and expectoration, and above all that she was blind ! It was for 

 this blindness that she sought advice, and it was this disease 

 that I was expected to recognise by feeling the pulse ! I now 

 explained to the Pascha, the utter impossibility of curing the 

 defect of vision, without previously examining her eyes. He 



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