OF TIIE SCHOOL OF ABOU-ZABEL. 
551 
the public exnectation, and prove myself worthy of the confi¬ 
dence with which his Excellency Akmed Pacha has honoured 
me. 
M. Hamont, the founder and director of the school, then rose. 
“ At about this time in the last year,” said he, “ we laid befoie 
vou a report (compte rendu) of our proceedings, and a numerous 
auditory witnessed with surprise and with satisfaction our first 
success in a new science, yet one of the greatest utility, an 
which innumerable difficulties seemed to conspire to crush in its 
«Beino- called upon a second time to narrate the transactions of 
the school I cannot better fulfil my task than by rendering you 
eye-witnesses of the progress made by the pupils in the studies 
which they have pursued. Recently called into existence, this 
institution, which you now honour with your presence, is anxious 
to submit to the judgment of scientific men a summary ot then- 
labours, and to exhibit the fruit of their exertions. Ihe advan- 
tao-e of these periodical and solemn assemblies has been long ac¬ 
knowledged in every part of Europe ; and these meetings are 
especially necessary in a country against the prejudices ot the 
inhabitants of which we are daily compelled to strugg e. 
“An art, a liberal profession, has penetrated into Egypt under 
the especial protection of the chief of the government. The people, 
immersed in ignorance, recognized not its utility. Embued with 
principles altogether at variance with ours, they were little dis¬ 
posed to listen to our instructions ; and they only began to 
abandon their old and hereditary customs and errors when some 
of their countrymen, most respected for their learning, declared 
in favour of the new institution. ‘ Appeal to such persons; shew 
them what you have effected ; indicate and develop to them the 
object at which you aim, and the importance of that object, and 
you will most readily arrive at the point you are anxious to 
reac h ? 
“ When it first endeavoured to establish itself in Egypt, veteiir. 
. nary medicine was compelled to declare war with the supersti¬ 
tions that covered the country, and under the influence of which 
the people had lived until the appearance of Mehemet All. 
Abandoned to a miserable fatalism, the majority of the Egyptians 
were amazed and stupified at the innovations of their master. 
They were not recovered from the astonishment caused by the 
foundation of a school of human medicine, when they heard it 
announced that the cattle were about to have their physicians. 
“ The opposition which we have experienced from such people 
was pardonable; it was natural, and easily explained. it was 
