344 



INCIDENTS OP TRAVEL. 



the country, her face had not been washed for more 

 than two months ! I had often been disgusted with the 

 long beards and unwashed faces of fever and ague sub- 

 jects, and the ignorance and prejudice of the people 

 on medical subjects ; in illustration of which, Dr. Drivin 

 told me of a case of practice by an old quack woman, 

 who directed her patient, a rich cattle proprietor, to be 

 extended on the ground naked every morning, and a 

 bullock to be slaughtered over him, so that the blood 

 could run warm upon his body. The man submitted 

 to the operation more than a hundred times, and was 

 bathed with the blood of more than a hundred bullocks ; 

 afterward he underwent a much more disgusting pro- 

 cess, and, strange to say, he lived. 



But to return : in general my medical practice was 

 confined to men, and with them I considered myself a 

 powerful practitioner. I did not like prescribing for 

 women ; and in this case I struck at all the prejudices 

 of the country, and cheapened my medical skill by di- 

 recting, first, that the poor girl's face should be washed ; 

 but I saved myself somewhat by making a strong point 

 that it should be washed with warm water. Whether 

 they thanked me or not I do not know, but I had my 

 reward, for I saw a lovely face, and long afterward I 

 remembered the touching expression of her eyes, as she 

 turned toward me, and listened to the advice I gave her 

 mother. 



At ten we resumed our journey. The land was level 

 and rich, but uncultivated. We passed several misera- 

 ble cattle haciendas, the proprietors of which lived in 

 the towns, and kept men on the estate, from time to 

 time, to gather and number the cattle, which roamed 

 wild in the woods. At eleven we passed the hacienda 

 of San Felippe, belonging to a Welshman engaged in 



