1 14
2 seems to have a preference for the cheeks of fair young ladies,
3 lasting twelve months, and leaving an ugly scar, but not
4 dangerous. The habbet-ul-kei, on the contrary, appears as a
5 small pustule, is very acute, and endangers life ; it occurs in the
6 interior as well as on the exterior parts of the body, for which
7 reason it is often difficult to be recognized ; but as soon as it is
8 recognized, the healing of it may instantly be effected with the
9 cautery, be it internal or external. That is the reason why, on
10 the Lebanon, so many children are seen on whose forehead the
11 cauterium actuale was applied as a preventive. If this ulcer
12 appears on the surface, for instance on the face, where an
13 inflamed pimple arises, which is at the beginning of a red or
14 blueish color, and afterwards becomes black, like a carbuncle, then
15 life is in danger, if not attended to betimes, i. e., by burning
16 and destroying it with a red-hot iron ; for that reason it is
17 called liabbet-ul-kei , that is to say — “ ulcer to be burned.” It is
18 said, that the bursting of the pimple being heard at the moment
19 of the operation, is a good omen of the success of the cure.
20 In Agosta, in the province of Kesroan, there occurred a case,
21 which rendered me really ashamed of our imperfect medical
22 knowledge.
23 I was called on to give my assistance on the commencement of
24 an acute inflammation of the eyes to a lady of the first family,
25 called the Sheikh Khoasni (nobility of ancient descent), where I
26 tried the antiphlogistic plan in its full extent, namely : —
27 bleeding, blistering, leeches, calomel, emetic tartar (in minute
28 doses), purgatives (viz., senna, manna, salt, &c.), Dover's
29 powders, different collyriums prepared from corrosive sublimate,
30 plumbi acet., laudanum, camphor, rosewater, &c., without any
31 positive result. One morning I found the lady a great deal
32 better, which I naturally ascribed to the good effects of my
33 treatment. “ No,” said my patient, “ I do not owe my conva-
34 lescence to your remedies, but to the shoemaker Ibrahim ; he
35 called on us yesterday evening, and on viewing my sore eves, he
36 recognized it to be the habbet-ul-kei . He applied immediately
37 the red-hot iron, and since that moment I am a great deal better,