V\i> SURGERY. 205 



rheumatism. These kind of remedies are supposed 

 to be obnoxious to certain demons who afflict the 

 body during sickness, named "saroitsh," of which 

 there arc several, but great difference of opinion 

 exists as to their exact number. 



The Shoans have also external applications, and 

 little operations, by which they remedy the con- 

 sequences of accidents, but these are mere exigen- 

 cies, conceived at the moment by the most sagacious 

 of the spectators, and, excepting blood-letting and 

 cupping, no art or mystery exists among them 

 worthy of being dignified with the name of surgery. 

 A strange operation for the removal of the whole 

 tonsil, when enlarged by inflammation, I have 

 often heard spoken of, but never had any oppor- 

 tunity of witnessing, although I believe one of the 

 Irish soldiers attached to the Embassy, was foolish 

 enough to submit to the operation, and almost died 

 in consequence. The mode they employ of blood- 

 letting and cupping is of very ancient origin, and 

 appears to have been received from former Egyp- 

 tian connexion ; as, since my return to England, I 

 have observed, in some representations preserved 

 to us of the arts and manners of the people of that 

 ancient country, the same method of venesection 

 was adopted by them, as by modern Abyssinians, 

 and also, I may remark, by their less civilized 

 neighbours, the Dankalli. This is performed in 

 Shoa with the blade of a small razor, held between 

 the fore-finger and thumb. The point of the left 



