90 THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



As to the treatment which the Armenian lady employed, 

 the following fact, which I insert, was generally rumored : — 

 she placed the Prince in a heated oven ( tandoor ), which 

 caused a profuse perspiration ; after that, she fumigated 

 him with the burning flesh of a weazel, also called 

 nymphizze^ and his body was rubbed with oil. Besides 

 this external treatment, she administered to him some 

 medicines, of which the following three substances were 

 the chief ingredients — ambergris, cochineal insects, and 

 earth-worms. She ordered the Prince to observe a very 

 strict regimen, not permitting him meat, or even broth, 

 only light digestible fish ( gelinjik balugi), because of its 

 name being like that of the disease. This disease occur- 

 ring frequently in the capital, and weasel flesh being a costly 

 thing, the druggists there sell it dried. There are many 

 Christian women, Greeks and Armenians, at Constantinople, 

 practising the cure of that malady, the principal remedy 

 for which, I am told, is Album Graecum (white dung of dogs). 

 It is a question whether phosphate of lime might not 

 take the place of that disgusting remedy, as it consists of 

 nearly the same substances. That disease is said to occur 

 in consequence of wrongly-treated acute eruptions, especially 

 the measles, or in consequence of sudden fright or excessive 

 fatigue : it gradually increases in virulence. It is to be 

 recognised by a pulsation behind the ears and other parts ; 

 the pulse on the wrist is felt more up the arm than 

 usual ; the eyes and feet are swollen ; the lips are pale ; 

 asthma is felt in walking, with weakness in the knees ; 

 finally, a slow consuming fever follows, which is succeeded 

 by death. 



I remained only two years at Constantinople, from the 

 autumn of 1836 to that of 1838. During that time, my 

 homoeopathic practice was extensive, as there were only 

 myself and the private physician to the Russian ambassador 

 who practised the new system ; and it was so lucrative 

 that I had no idea of leaving that place so soon, still 

 less of returning to Lahore, until I learned from the 

 Austrian internuncio, Baron Sturmer, who was in quarantine 



