400 Regeneration of Medicine in Egypt. [May, 



The first obstacle was the impossibility of finding eleves who could 

 speak French, Italian, or any other European tongue. This could not 

 be overcome but through the means of interpreters, who might convey 

 to the scholars the sentiments of the Professors. But in order that the 

 interpretation of such mediums might be correct, they themselves 

 should indispensably have been initiated in the science they were 

 to convey : whence the interpreters were necessarily to be instructed 

 prior to the eleves. 



The second was to introduce among the Arabs the study of ana- 

 tomy, which involved the dissipation of their religious prejudices, 

 as to them it appears an enormous sacrilege to apply a dissecting 

 knife to the remains of the defunct. 



The third, finally, was the deficiency of books, instruments, and 

 that multifarious assortment of other implements, which are essential 

 for the first opening of such an establishment among a barbarous and 

 unpolished people, like the Egyptians. 



All these difficulties, albeit numerous and intricate, disappeared 

 before the zeal of Dr. Clot, and of the head Physician and Inspector- 

 General, Dr. Martini ; and in a short period Egypt saw opened 

 at Abou-Zabel a School of Medicine, which, although imperfect like 

 every other infant institution, resembled Aurora, the forerunner of 

 light, amidst the darkness of deep and disgraceful ignorance. 



The first obstacle alluded to was surmounted by appointing various 

 interpreters, sufficiently instructed in the oriental languages, and 

 not totally unacquainted with medical pursuits. In the mean time, 

 however, so as not to be perpetually obliged to have recourse to their 

 assistance, which was essentially supplementary, a course of European 

 languages, especially French and Italian, was commenced. Signor 

 Ucelli (Piedmontese) and Signori Raffael, Authori, Sakakini, 

 and Zaccara undertook and supported with honor this double duty of 

 interpreting the lectures of the Professors, and of instructing the Ara- 

 bian alumni in the European tongues.* 



The second impediment was overcome by the firmness of the 

 Government, and its well known indifference for religious opinions, as 

 well national as foreign. For by suggestion of the European doctors 

 the most influential Sheiks were informed that the opening of the 

 dead for the benefit of the living, in place of being brutality and cruel- 

 ty as they would fain have it believed, was a pious and philanthropic 

 act ; and they were shown that the Pacha in this respect had no 

 intention of being annoyed ; and so shortly disappeared all objections 



* The respectable Signors should have commenced by studying medicine them- 

 selves.-— Eds. 



