AND LOWER EGYPT. 69 



the resources of his fortitude. Very nearly blind, 

 for the other eye, though less disordered, was very 

 much inflamed, I had no longer the power of bleed- 

 ing myself, which I had done in other circum- 

 stances. An Italian missionary resided in the en- 

 virons; I sent to entreat him to perform this opera- 

 tion for me. He employed that kind of lancet 

 with a spring which is made use of in several parts 

 of Italy and Germany, and which is known under 

 the name o^ fleam. To put the finishing stroke to 

 my misery, the awkward monk, in attempting to 

 bleed me, broke his lancet, and left the point in 

 my arm. He protested to me, that this was the 

 tirst time such an accident had happened to him, 

 which afl;brded me neitherpleasurenorconsolation. 

 I was obliged to undergo a pretty long operation, 

 in which my detestable surgeon slashed my arm ui 

 order to extract the fragment of i\\G fleam. At last 

 the earnest desire which I had to be bled, made mc 

 resolve, although with regret, to permit him a 

 second time to make an attempt to draw blood from 

 me witli a better instrument, and, above all, with 

 greater skill. The monk, not without many 

 delays, which made me apprehend some still 

 greater accident, at last succeeded in giving me a 

 copious bleeding, which afforded me no relief. 



I received as little from emollient cataplasms^ 

 the torrents of cooling draughts, and the other re- 



F 3 medics 



