1 150
2 local balneum cucurbitae citrulli : a water-melon was proposed
3 to be procured and opened, the contents of it to be crushed, and
4 the membrum virile una cum scroto introduced. Another,
5 boasting of his ability, brought a still better remedy on the
6 carpet, recommending it as a probatum est. This highly praised
7 remedy consisted in roasting a sugar-melon, wrapped in dough,
8 and while luke-warm making a hole therein per quod foramen
9 penis erectus inserendus et semen virile injiciendum esset.
10 Risum teneatis amici ! — But we did not employ either, a hakim
11 of Peshawur prescribing pills of camphor, convolvolus argenteus ,
12 opium, pyrethrum and %edoaria ; these, together with some
13 injections of solution of sulphates of zinc and copper which
14 I administered, produced the desired result, and the patient
15 was cured within a month.
16 These consultations were generally held in the presence of the
17 patient, so that he might choose whichever remedy he preferred.
18 In the assembly of the hakims, the Persian language was spoken,
19 and the technical terms used were Arabic, which no patient
20 could understand ; but if there were present any Hindoo phy-
21 sicians or pundits (astrologers), which was always the case when
22 consultations were held at respectable houses, then the Indian
23 language was spoken, because generally the Indians are not
24 versed in the Persian.
25 Alms are given on every occasion of illness, but mostly at
26 the time when the patient’s last hour seems to be near ; and
27 consequently large numbers of poor faqueers and Brahmins
28 assemble on these occasions at the entrance to the houses, espe-
29 cially of those inhabited by wealthy people.
30 Chronic diseases are temporarily treated with a composition of
31 myrobalons; and in the following spring china-root decoctions
32 are employed. This is their last resource ; which corresponds
33 with the “ change of air 11 recommended by our European
34 physicians, that being the panacea invariably resorted to by the
35 latter, when they are at a loss what to do with their patients.
36 I have already mentioned the asylum for lunatics which I