l6 TlilKTY-FrV'E YEARS IN THE EAST. 



as in ancient times ; our contemporary medical men itT 

 Europe make but little use of it, probably because they are 

 afraid of the violent pains inseparable from such operation^ 

 but this only produces the healing effect. 



At Tripoli ( Syria ) I met with a very disagreeable in- 

 cident by my improvidence, from which I learned some- 

 experience, and for that reason I will give the reader some 

 account of it. Being an enthusiastic sportsman from my 

 earliest age, I pursued some ducks in a marshy ground, 

 where I remained for a couple of hours. It was in the win- 

 ter season, on a lonely and desert place, about five miles 

 from the town, and not far from the sea-coast. 



I was quite alone, and so intent on the pursuit, that I 

 observed, only a short time before sunset, that it was high 

 time to return to my abode. I left the marsh, sat down on 

 its border to dress myself ; but to my astonishment my 

 feet were motionless, stiff, and paralysed so that it 

 was impossible, without assistance, to get on my 

 pantaloons and boots. But my terror increased, when 

 I reflected that I was in the desert, far from every human 

 being ! What will become of me, thought I ? Must I perish 

 by the frost of the night ; or must I become a prey to the 

 wild beasts on their nightly wanderings? Similar ideas 

 rose in my imagination, and I was in a desperate situa- 

 tion. 



But sometimes, at the moment when our calamity is 

 highest, our delivery is nearest. Having committed that 

 imprudent step of going into the marsh when I was fatigued 

 and excited, I felt nothing as long as I was wading about ; 

 but now, as the sueirp air came in contact with my body, I felt 

 the consequences of the evil I bad brought on myself. 

 Against that paraplegy, there was only one remedy, 

 namely : — to produce a perspiration oq the whole body. 

 But how was I to effect this ? " Necessity is the mother 

 of invention." I grasped my cloth pantaloons, and began 

 to rub my feet with all my strength, until my hands got 

 weary, and in the meantime my whole body became 

 covered with perspiration. To my great satisfaction, I 



