634 STATE OF MEDICINE AMONG THE ARABIANS. 
diseases. So, every kind of cholic and vertigo is a bowel 
disease ; every running, coryza ; bronchitis, pneumonia, and 
glanders, is the Ichangni ; every disease of the foot, ringbone, 
corn, sandwash, &c. is the ghelta; and every kind is treated 
in the same manner, in such way as diseases of the eyes and 
zidri or farcy, mange and small pox. 
In every case, as they have entire confidence in these reme- 
dies, they never give themselves any alarm about external or 
superficial disease, however serious it may be, in the hope 
that it necessarily ought to yield to the treatment they em- 
ploy for it — that is, invariably the same for the disease in 
all its stages. 
As to internal affections, they comprehend their existence, 
providing they discover at the same time some external disease 
palpable to them, upon which they direct all their attention 
and all their remedies— whether there be any relation or not 
between the internal disease and the principal one. Other- 
wise, that this may not be the case, they must understand 
the nature of that general disease and the action of the causes 
producing them, together with the nature of those causes 
themselves. They never suppose, for example, that the air is 
vitiated, capable of exerting a deleterious action, or that 
through the bad quality of aliment, or an excess of fatigue, 
or any other analogous cause, it can produce alteration in the 
blood and speedy death ; so that when death supervenes in 
such a case, they ascribe it either to usage or to old age. 
From this, we may imagine what alarm is caused them 
when the animal leaves off eating, without their being able to 
-discover any external symptom to account for it ; their medi- 
cal science is thus all abroad, and, knowing not what to 
do, they have recourse to imprecations, charms, &c. 
Heaving of the flanks, distressed respiration, fetid breath, 
and other analogous symptoms, have, in their estimation, 
but feeble importance ; or, at the most, indicate to them that 
a disease is in existence, which it is not in their power to cure, 
so that it often happens that a disease of the chest may run 
through parts of its stages without creating disquietude to 
them, and, consequently, without being subdued. They know 
only whether the disease continues, or changes into chronic 
bronchitis, or hydrophorax that then the animal is lost; when, 
therefore, they promote his end, by giving him green grass, 
with a view, they say, of killing him outright, or of curing him. 
The sole notion the Arabs possess relative to the influence 
of the general causes on the organisation of animals, consists 
in the necessity of guarding against atmospheric variations, 
such as hot, cold, rainy, damp weather ; added to which, i3 it not 
