396 ADVICE TO " AHKEEMS 



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by recollecting the case of an unfortunate Armenian 

 doctor, who, in Suikin, two years before, had been 

 sacrificed by the populace on account of the death of 

 a patient whom he had thus treated. The Turkish 

 Governor of the town, before whom the complaint 

 was made of this treatment, in vain interceded in 

 behalf of the doctor; his expostulations had no 

 effect, and he was obliged to permit that which he 

 was unable to prevent, and the accused was taken 

 from his presence to the outside of the walls of the 

 town, where he was barbarously executed in the 

 usual manner, by the weapons of the friends and 

 relations of his deceased patient. I heard of this 

 in Aden, the fact having been reported by the 

 European Consuls in the neighbouring ports to 

 their respective Governments, and, in consequence, 

 a representation was made to the Porte upon the 

 subject. In such countries if a traveller be 

 requested to afford assistance to sick persons, for 

 whom no hope of recovery exists, his best practice 

 will be to recommend the friends of the patient to 

 pray a certain number of times to Allah, or if he 

 finds he must do something himself, let him give 

 them some written charm or other, but never by 

 any means administer medicine or perform the least 

 operation. In cases when active measures are 

 adopted, and the patient, to the surprise of himself 

 and others, does get well, the cure is always 

 ascribed to Allah alone ; but should he die, the 

 doctor is considered responsible for his death, 



