98 TillRTV-FIVE VEARS IN THE EAST. 



the reason v/hy all my endeavours and all my demonstrations 

 turned out fruitless. The prudeut minister was of opinion, 

 that it did not lie in his poi^'er to decide ; the fakeer, Azeez- 

 oo-Deen, exercising such magic influence on the maharajah, 

 that only by addressing myself to him could I obtain any 

 decision according to my desires. I reminded the fakeer 

 of his own words, that such minute doses could not be 

 hurtful, even if it should be poison. Besides, I observed, 

 that it was not every fever, especially when appearing in so 

 mild a form, that could be of bad consequence, as nature 

 sometimes cures diseases by re-action in the frame ; and 

 that, under such circumstances, it was advisable to lay 

 aside all medicine, and await the result. But he objected 

 to that, saying that the maharajah was too feeble to 

 endure such a fever. '' But, " continued he, " let us hear 

 what opinion the other physicians have." All my arguments 

 availed nothing. The consultation, at which the fakeer 

 presided, was composed of a dozen hakinis from Peshawur 

 and Lahore, Hindoo physicians, astrologers, &c., each o,( 

 whom imagined that he possessed the deepest knowledge 

 of medical art. Most of them carried large books, to cover 

 their want of real learning. In fine, they agreed unanimously 

 to administer to the patient a majoon (electuary), of which 

 jowahirad ( precious stones ) constituted the principal 

 ingredient The fakeer himself prepared and administered 

 it to the patient ; but in less th-m a fortnight the 

 maharajah gave up his temporal life. He died ' at the 

 fortress in my presence, upon which the minister ordered 

 the gates to be shut, but I readily obtained his permission 

 to absent myself. The fakeer, who exercised great in- 

 fluence in the household of the royal court, and who 

 had begun his career at Lahore as a barber, with a few 

 boxes of ointment, did not live long after his patron, 

 Runje-it Sing. Azeez-oo-Deen — of Arabian origin, and 

 descended from the Ansari Arabs of the desert — was the 

 oracle of Runjeet Sing. He, the prime-minister Dhyan 

 Sing, and Dewan-Deena-Nauth, minister of finance, con- 

 stituted the triad of which tlie privy-couacil ol the king 



