a86 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



and whose various prescriptions he had the perse-* 

 veraticc to follow one after another, and frequently 

 at the same time. 



One of these physicians ordered him to apply 

 the cast skin of a snake, under his turban, a cele- 

 brated preservative and specific in Egypt for dis- 

 eases of the head. The remedy which another 

 prescribed for his complaint, was to go out on 

 foot and walk into the country, till he should fall 

 in with a rag, no matter of what sort, which he 

 was to drag along with his naked foot till he 

 reached his house, where he was to take three 

 sticks and a small quantity of alum, and burning 

 the whole together, to inhale the smoke. A third 

 had assured the Aga, that in three days he would 

 cure him of the complaint in his stomach, under 

 which he laboured. His treatment consisted in 

 rubbing the stomach, and pressing it violently, 

 and afterwards in squeezing it tightly with ban- 

 dages. I witnessed the resignation of the sick 

 man under this tiresome operation ; but the phy- 

 sician, very prudently, took his departure bcfoje 

 the expiration of the three days which he had re- 

 quired to effect the cure. 



In other respects this over-credulous Aga was of 

 considerable service to me. The army of Mourat 

 Bey, commanded by a bey of his household, and 



along 



