ail TRAVELS IN UPPER 



very skilfully. They did not use mercury in theic 

 mode of treatment, but simply employed sudori- 

 fics ; and so far from putting their patients under 

 a regimen, they, on the contrary, advised them to 

 indulge in a variety of foods. The Arabians have 

 a way of curing those disorders peculiar to them- 

 selves. They dig a hole in the sand, and bury 

 themselves in it up to the neck ; they remain in 

 this position without eating, exposed to the most 

 intense heat during the whole day. In the even« 

 ing only they take a little nourishment. I have 

 been assured that they resumed these scorching 

 situations for twenty or thirty days together. 



But a very singular fact, and which, however, 

 I by no means guarantee, although it has been 

 sworn to by many people, and among others by 

 the friars of Negztade, is the wonderful property 

 which they ascribe to the smoke of mastich *, 

 namely, that of killing every sick person who 

 breathes it. It is possible, nay probable, that 

 this is only a prejudice, but it is so deeply rooted, 

 and so generally received, that nobody doubts the 

 deadly quality of burnt mastich. As I said before, 

 they perfume with it the porous vessels of 

 unbaked earth, into which they pour the 



* A resinous substance, which, in the islands of the Archi- 

 pelago, and particularly at Scio, oozes froin the lentisk. Pis- 

 tecia lentit.us. JJin. 



y '--' waters 



