EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 319 
It is ordinarily experienced in the city, where, from being 
confined in the day, people feel moft difpofed to feek for cool- 
nefs and refrefhment on their terraces at night. 
The Mamluks, and higher order of Arabs, that is, Moham- 
medan merchants, and the fuperior rank of Copts and Franks,- 
are leaft affected, as being cleanly, not expofing themfelves to the 
night air without neceffity, and being well covered. The Arabs 
of the defert are as free from blindnefs as any people. They 
never fleep with the face expofed, and have moreover the ad- 
vantage of being devoid of the duft and other fuppofed caufes 
of pforophthalmia in the city. The diforder appears no where 
fo much as in Kahira, becaufe no where are all the caufes fo 
much combined : yet it is feen in Alexandria, Damiatt, and in 
Upper Egypt, which fhews that the caufe is not confined to 
Kahira. Among the poorer clafs of all countries prevails a kind 
of infoiiciance. That of Kahira is particularly expofed to the 
changes of temperature and the nodlurnal dew, and is ill 
clothed. Hence the diforder is moftly found among the popu- 
lace. A difpofition to inflammation often appears in the eyes of 
children, but yields to proper remedies. Hence it may be ima- 
gined, that with attention the Egyptians would not fuffer more 
than other nations. 
Some travellers have thought that the ophthalmic difeafe in 
Kahira was occafioned by the fetid exhalations of the Chalige, 
and the drains ; and have even obferved, that thofe who are 
moft feverely affeded in winter, recover as foon as the water has 
filled the Chalige and the pools. This is alfo a common idea 
with 
