THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 33 



^o the minister, Masraf Effendi, who introduced us to the 

 Pasha. 



He examined the nest in the vial, and asked the boy 

 whether he was really cured ? " Yes, my Pasha," was his 

 answer, whereupon he said to me, " Afferim," ( well done ); 

 and I received 1,000 piastres, besides a Tshokha ( cloak of 

 honour ), 



Many readers will ask, how did these insects come into 

 the ear ? I questioned the boy, and was told that he slept 

 in a stable where cows were kept. I therefore considered 

 the insects to be cow-lice, which had crept into his ear and 

 bred there. 



At the suggestion of the minister, the Pasha requested 

 me to attend an Arab, who was lame, in consequence of a 

 gun-shot wound which he had received a few years before 

 in his hip. Although the man felt no pain, and no foreiga 

 body was perceptible in any part of his limb, ^he neverthe^ 

 less persisted in stating that the ball was sticking some- 

 where in his hip. The surgeons endeavoured to convince him, 

 that if such had been the case, they could never have suc- 

 ceeded in healing the wound. The question with me was, 

 whether or not I ought to re-open the cicatrix, and search 

 for the extraneous substance in the hip, I thought this 

 operation was needless, and yet I felt compelled to do 

 something, in consequence of the order of the Pasha. 



It occurred to me that exercise was necessary, so I order- 

 ed him to walk a great deal, to beat the ground firmly, and 

 caused the hip to be tapped on that part where I presumed 

 the ball to be, rubbing it frequently with the hand down- 

 v/ards, and I gave him also an emollient ointment, &c. After 

 three weeks the man felt a pain in the hollow of his knee 

 caused by the presence of an extraneous substance. I exa- 

 mined the part and felt a protruding body, which was easily 

 moved from one part to another. It was, in fact, the ball 

 which I immediately cut out, and the patient was very 

 soon cured of his lameness. Thus the mystery of this case 

 was solved, my fame was established, and the Arab surgeons, 

 or more properly barbers, were cast iuto the shade, 



