1824.} 
‘time a Kirghees physician (dargeer) 
with his assistants were called in, and 
were soon followed by the Achboon 
(elder priest) and two or three. Mullahs 
(junior priests). The latter sat down 
in a semi-circle round a bowl of water 
in which they blew, muttering prayers, 
and passing beans from hand to hand. 
In the mean time the physician put some 
knives without handles into the fire, till 
they were red hot, when he ordered his 
assistants to take them out; after which 
he took water from the bowl in his 
mouth and squirted upon them, ob- 
serving at the same time the rising of 
the steam. The patient stood all the 
time, supported by two men, with his 
back turned towards the juggler, ina 
manner that the steam could not reach 
him. This ceremony having been gone 
through, the physician asked his ser- 
vant: inde togoos boldu ma? (will nine 
be enough ?) upon which the latter re- 
plied: doldu (enough); the physician 
said then: indekoi otoor (sit down). 
After this he melted in an iron pan some 
mutton suet, and having put in a rag 
and turned it round, he squirted some 
of the same water into it, which created 
ahissing. Having repeated this several 
times, he threw the pan out of the 
tent. The patient was now seated on a 
carpet purposely spread near the door, 
and the physician having called out: 
Kara ishka da alet kel! (bring the black 
goat !); such an animal was brought in, 
and the assistants having seized her, the 
one by the fore and the other by the 
hind legs, they carried her three times 
round the patient, knocking her against 
him on eyery turn. This ceremony was 
repeated with a grey and a white goat, 
and six sheep in succession. The 
Kirghees /Esculapius, probably weary 
by his useless labour, now again in- 
quired: inde togoos boldo ma ? and the 
answer being bo/du, the ceremony was 
finished, upon which they seemed not a 
little proud, asking me whether people 
were cured in Russia in the same man- 
ner. Seeing that there was nothing to 
do here for me, I-returned to the oul 
of the Khan; and three days after I 
was informed that the patient was dead.” 
The following is a description of a 
different ceremony, undertaken for the 
cure of a lady who was subject to con- 
vulsions : 
“ Towards the evening a number of 
people of both sexes assembled in a 
kibitke, purposely set up for the occa- 
sion. The patient was seated on rich 
carpets, in her best attire, and was co- 
The Kirghees. 
205 
vered with a thin white silk cloth. All 
of a sudden the magician (bakssw) ap- 
peared with a kaboois (a kind of fiddle 
covered with horse-hair instead’ of 
strings), in his hand. Having seated 
himself opposite the patient, he began 
playing on his instrument in a shrill, 
although not unpleasant tone, with 
which he accompanied his own horrible 
bass voice. Now and then the people 
joined him with a terrible roar. Some- 
times they cried, Kotch ! kotch! kotch ! 
in the manner they call their dogs ; and 
at others they sang with drawling voices, 
and shaking their bodies backwards and 
forwards: Adlai opa! Allai opa! (God 
help !) all which in some measure re- 
sembled our rural Christmas sports. 
And thus the first evening was spent 
till midnight. 
The next day, the assembly having 
met again, the bakssu. went through 
some of the ceremonies of the pre- 
vious day; during which he gave the 
patient thirty-one blows on her -back 
with a stout whip, so hard that it made 
blue marks on her skin. Then he 
jumped and capered like a madman, 
and struck against the sides of the tent, 
as if he would drive anybody out. 
After this he threw himself on the pa- 
tient, like a rabid dog, and bit her till 
the blood flowed. Then again he drew 
an immense knife, with which he pre- 
tended to stab the lady, which latter 
ceremony was intended to stop the 
flowing of the blood. 
On the third evening some thin tal- 
low -candles (ssirach), placed in two 
bowls filled with earth and sand, were 
kept in readiness, together with a dead 
raven, a water-melon, and a pumpkin. 
When the dakssu had wearied himself 
with his contortions, he went out into 
the street carrying the raven, and was 
followed by the people, who carried the 
other articles mentioned. As soon as 
they got out, they raised a terrible yell, 
threw away the things they held in their 
hands, and returned into the kibitke. 
In the mean while the patient lay on 
her back, covered like a corpse with a 
white sheet. The dakssu again sat down 
at her feet, and repeated the ceremony 
of playing-and singing. I perceived 
that after the words, Tart, Shyanum 
tart! the patient’s chest strongly heaved, 
keeping time to the instrument. After 
some time the dakssu, in a fit of extacy, 
fell -backwards, stiff like a tree, ~ but 
enashing his teeth and foaming at the 
mouth, and turning as pale as death. 
But what was most remarkable, the pa- 
tient 
