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great must be the heat of summer, when in the month 
of January, with the windows open, I could scarcely 
endure the sheet of the bed upon me; and the butter, 
at the same period, was always liquid like water. The 
geographical position of this city, which is two degrees 
within the torrid zone, condemns it, during two 
months and a half of the year, to a vertical sun, or at 
farthest two degrees distant from its zenith, from the 
middle of the month of May to the latter end of the 
month of July. It is situated at the bottom of a sandy 
valley, surrounded on all sides by naked mountains, 
without brook, river, or any running water; without 
trees, plants, or any species of vegetation. Thus an 
idea may be formed of the heat which reigns during 
summer. 
At Mecca, as in all other Mussulman countries, 
there are no physicians, properly so called. I however 
met two who dared to take the name, one of whom 
would have done well by beginning to cure himself; 
but these empirics almost always employ prayers and 
superstitious practices in their pretended cures. 
On this account we ought not to expect to find any 
apothecaries, or venders of drugs and medicines. 
When an inhabitant is sick, his barber bleeds him, 
and gives him a good dose of ginger water; he ad- 
ministers to him some of the miraculous water of Zem- 
zem, as a drink and as baths; he makes him eat a great 
deal of cinnamon, cloves, and other aromatics; and the 
patient lives or dies according to the will of God. As 
I had a medicine chest with me, I attended my ser- 
vants whenever they were sick. My hhazindar, or 
maitre d'hotel, was attacked with an intermittent fever. 
After having prepared him for a vomit, I made him 
take one, which produced its effect; but the next day, 
