204 EVIL SPIRITS. 



whicli were several of his friends and attend- 

 ants, amongst whom were two Hujams or 

 barbers, who act as sm^geons in India in 

 parts where Em^opean practitioners are not 

 to be met with. Two Hukeems or physicians, 

 though both, by the courtesy of Khyrpoor, 

 were styled Kazee or judge, because their 

 fathers had in former days held that office, 

 began reciting a prayer in a sing-song tone, 

 but no one seemed moved thereby to devo- 

 tion, unless it might be one of the Kazees, 

 who was busy with his Tusheeah, or rosary, 

 seemingly for effect. The two Hujams then 

 began removing the dressings, which opera- 

 tion they preceded with a BismiUah, "in the 

 name of God," followed by an invocation to 

 the Emaums, and an attendant carried a 

 small earthen pot containing fire round the 

 charpoy, and placed it at the foot to drive 

 away evil spirits ; and of a surety, if such 

 sjiirits had noses, they would not voluntarily 

 have remained within range of the stench 

 thus created by burning Hurmidl, a medicinal 

 seed of peculiarly sickening odour to an 

 empty stomach. Thus nothing, I should think, 

 could be better adapted to the purpose of 



