24.0 The Persian Travels Book V. 



For the Dyfentery, they take lower Curdl'd-milk, with Rice unbruis'd boyl'd j n 

 •water, to which they add a little Rhubarb powdcr'd. 



At the beginning of a Difrafe they forbid Bread, and inftcad thereof prefcribe 

 Rice boyl'd in Hcn-broath, or fbmetimes in fair water. For diet is the chief Re- 

 medy which the Phyfitians preicribe in all Dijfeafes, and account molt foverai^n. 

 Indeed the remedy is well prclcrib'd in many diltempers; however it is by them 

 never prefcrib'd according to reafon or method, but only according to cultom- 

 whereby it often comes to pals that they forbid that which is good, and prefcribe 

 that which is bad. If the Patient be fo poor as not to be able to (end for a Phyfitian 

 two or three men fet him upon an Afs, with a Scarf about his neck, which* denotes 

 him to be a fick perfbn, and to lead him to the Phyfitian ; who prefenrly feels his 

 Pulfe, lets him Blood, and by and by taking his Pen in his hand, in a fmall piece of 

 Paper prefcribes more Hog-wam at one ftroke, then three mens bellys are able to 

 contain. 



When a Phyfitian is call'd to a Confutation, he pretends not to take any Money • 

 But his Atar or Apothecary finds a way to have the Doctor fatisfi'd for his pains 

 They never permit the Sick to change their Linnen, how nafty fbever it be* 

 When they come home to the Patient, though they find him ready to expire, they 

 tell the Servants that he will certainly recover ; but then, on the other fide,' they 

 go to the Parents or Kindred of the Patient, and tell them that the Patient is in a 

 deiperate condition, and cannot live. By this means they fave their credit • for 

 happen what will, they have told truth either of the one fide, or the other. 



C H A P. XVI- 



Of the druijion of Tnne mn<mg the Perfrans. 



^-pH E Perfians divide the natural day into four parts. The firft is from Sun- 

 X rifing to Noon j the Second from Noon to Sun-fcr : The third from Sun-fet 

 till Midnig"ht;j and the fourth from Midnight till Sun-rife. At Midnight, Morning 

 and Sunfer, they make a molt horrible din in every great City, of Kettic-Drums' 

 Haur-bovs, Latten-Pafons, and other Imrrumcnts : upon which there are certain 

 men hird to play foe a quarter of an hour together, in fome place where they 

 may be heard all over the City. They have alfb great Cornets, about feven foot 

 Jong, with deep mouths, which may be heard above half a league. But thefe 

 Cornets are never us'd but in Cities where the Kans or Governours refide. Thefe 

 Inftruments are alfo always employ'd at their great Solemnities } as alio when the 

 King creates any new Officer or Governour. Thefe Inftruments have alfo a pri- 

 viledg to play at all Houfes where they underftand there is a Male-child born 

 The meaner fort dare not refufe em j but the Nobility value not their privilede 

 of a ftraw. r ' & 



The Perfians in the computation of time make ufe of Lunar- months. The firft 

 Moptbarrem, the fecond Cepher, the third Rebia-el-Avel, the fourth Alher the 

 fifth GemadH-AvcUhc fixth Gcmadil-Akner^e feventh Regeb, the eighth Sbaabon, 

 the ninth Ramez.an, the tenth Shaval, the eleventh Zikade, the twelfth Zti* 

 haggc. And every Month begins from the firft appearance of the Crefcent. 



^ Xn their Aftronomical Accounts, and the Calculations of the Longitude and La- 

 titude of the Planets, for the compofing their Almanacks, they make ufe of Solar- 

 months, thus call'd : A^ar 3 1 days. Omum 30 days. Ajar 3 1. Harmon 30. Te- 

 numzx li,Abii.EUoHl lo.Techrion-el-Avel iiTechnon-el-tUm ^o.Ranon-el-Avel 

 Si.Kanon-Elfant 31. Sbaabat 28 or 29,anfwering to our February. The firft month 

 Azmt begins upon our eleventh of March: fo that it anfwer'd to our month of 



malv thc Grc l oria » Reformation. Therefore they call this month 



Mob-Roam*, or the Roman months. They alfo make ufe of the Egyptian months, 

 which are thus call'd : Tcrverdi» y Erdi-bc-hott, Kourdad, T t r t Mordad, Sbertver, 



Mobre\ 



