The Persian Travels Book V. 



For the Dyfentery, they take fower Curdl'd-milk, with Rice unbruis'd boyl'd in 

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



At the beginning of a Difèafè they forbid Bread, and inftead thereof prefcribe 

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

 medy which the Phyfitians prefcribe in all Dijfeafes, and account raoft foveraign. 

 Indeed the remedy is well prefcrib'd in many diftempers; however it is by them 

 never prefcrib'd according to reafon or method, but only according to cuftom ; 

 whereby it often comes to pafs 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 fend 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 perfon, and fo lead him to the Phyfitian ; who prefently feels his 

 Pulfe, lets him Blood, and by and by taking his Pen in his hand, in a final 1 piece of 

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

 contain. 



When a Phyfitian is calFd to a Confultation, he pretends not to take any Money : 

 But his At or 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 foever 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 lide, they 

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

 defperate condition, and cannot live. By this means they five 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 divijîon of Time among the Perfians. 



TH E Perjtans divide the natural day into four parts. The firft is from Sun- 

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

 till Midnight ; and the fourth from Midnight till Sun-rife. At Midnight, Morning, 

 and Sunfet, they make a moll horrible din in every great City, of Kettle-Drums, 

 Haut- boys, Latten-Bafons, and other Inftruments : upon which there are certain 

 men hir'd to play for a quarter of an hour together, in fome place where they 

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

 long, 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 reficle. Thefe 

 Inftruments are alfo always employ'd at their great Solemnities ; as alfo 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 ; but the Nobility value not their priviledg 

 of a ftraw. 



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

 Mottharrem J the fécond Cefher, the third Rebia-el-Avel, the fourth Akner, the 

 fifth Gemadil-Avelfhe. {ixth Gemadil-Afyer ,the feventh Regeb } the eighth Shaabon, 

 the ninth Rame&an, the tenth Shaval, the eleventh Zikade, the twelfth Zil- 

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



In 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 : Az*ar 3 1 days. Orison 30 days. Ajar 31. Harmon 30. Te- 

 mouz.e Ab 31. Eilottl lo.Techrion-el-Avel si.Techrion-el-ilani ^o.Ranon-el-Avel 

 31. K anon- Eij atii 31. Shaabat 28 or 29,anfwering to our February. The firft month 

 Ax.ar begins upon our eleventh of March : fb that it anfwer'd to our month of 

 March before the Gregorian Reformation. Therefore they call this month 

 Mah-Roami, or the Roman months. They alfo make ufe of the Egyptian months, 

 which are thus call'd: Terverdin, Erdi-be-hoB, Kottrdciti, Vr, ALordad ) Sheriver, 



Mohrê. 



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