248 THEOPBILUS G. PINCHES^ ESQ., LL.D., M.R.A.S., ON 



Amraphel, King of Shinar, in Genesis, 14th chapter, and con- 

 temporary with Abraham. 



The Chairman. — Perhaps Dr. Chaplin would tell us something 

 about diseases of the eye, as that subject has been referred to. 



Dr. Chaplin. — I am afraid I cannot say much about diseases of 

 the eye in ancient Babylon, but judging from analogy I should say 

 that diseases of the eye in that part of the world were and are very 

 much the same as the diseases of the eye in Egypt and Assyria, 

 where these diseases, owing to various circumstances, are much more 

 frequent than they are in more temperate climates. 



I was much interested in what was said in the paper about 

 operations on the eye. I remember a quite common Persian came 

 down to Jerusalem when I was living there — a man who had no 

 pretence to education or position in society — but his business was 

 to operate for cataract, and with very inferior instruments and 

 inferior knowledge of the anatomy of the eye, he would very often 

 perform successful operations. 



Sir Henry Howorth, D.C.L., F.R.S. — Mr. Chairman, ladies and 

 gentlemen, I have no right to intervene at all, because my knowledge 

 is not first-hand, as it ought to be in discussing a paper of this 

 importance. I came here to-day for more than one reason. I am a 

 trustee of the British Museum, and as trustee of that great establish- 

 ment I am never tired of rehearsing the claim to our gratitude 

 which we owe to my good friend who read these papers, and whose 

 admirable work as an Assyriologist — not merely his cuteness, but 

 his efforts and discoveries, are only matched by those of Professor 

 Sayce in this realm. I am delighted that he is so active, and I hope 

 he will go on with his activity until he is as old as Methuselah. 



I remember how good an account he gave of what took place at 

 the Congress. I have taken off my hat more than once in front of 

 this great monolith of Hammurabi, and there it stands, it seems to 

 me, a royal monument in stone with the inscriptions of Augustus, 

 who was especially honoured all through the eastern world. Now 

 the portrait of this wonderful king, the beautiful portrait of this 

 very king, is on a large plate of clay or stone — I think a clay monu- 

 ment — at the British Museum, and it is drawn in bas-relief with all 

 the precision of a beautiful cameo. There he is with his lovely 

 beard, and it is so beautifully finished that I think you ought all to 

 go and look at it. Now that this particular king has become so 



