244 AFRICAN" WANDERINGS.

written amulets that bring evil on those, who secretly foster ill-Avill against him ; they are very old, as are all such papers we have examined. Mahmud Aga, Bulluk Basclii, and Abdin Bey have great seals, the impression of Avhich they stamped on paper, and gave to those who had the fever to wear about them ; if this has no effect, there must be some evil spirit (schittan) in the Avay. There are also papers (uarrag) that sick men must eat, or burn and inhale the smoke. Osmar Kaschef, as a preventive to cold and cough, drinks the Avater with which the ink of certain written words has been washed off a wooden table ; and he swears that a frog split open and placed on a shot-wound will draw out any ball within twelve hours. Even the most intelligent among them believe more in their charms than in the best doctor. The Pascha, a freethinker, states his belief in men living to the age of 400 or 500 years. All, both Turks and Arabs, are much prejudiced against the European method of treating diseases. If the medicine does not give immediate relief, it is bad, all bosk. All that any friend recommends is at once tried, and faki and charms are always employed along with the attending doctor. Their own receipts are powerful, as, for instance, for a cold, pepper, ginger, and hot spices, &c. Almost for every illness they open some particular vein ; the vena ranina for indigestion, the vena frontalis for headache, the vena digitalis for ailments in the limbs, &c. &c.

Garlic, placed on or in the tarbush is a preventive to coup de soleil ; and garlic and salt, placed under the tongue, a cure for thirst and fever. Ai*abs and Turks groan and cry at every attack of illness, and call on Allah and the Prophet, " ia Rabbi I Kassul Allah I Sheik Abd-el-Kader !" &c. During illness they seldom change their clothes, and remain in their under garments, which are clogged Avith perspiration. On fresh wounds they place sulphur, wash them often with brandy, and strew on them coffee, salt, and gunpowder. For lance wounds the natives here roll round a piece of stickgoat's hair or cotton, and turn it round in them. Allien these in a day or two become highly inflamed, they make a rim of ])aste round the wound, and pour into it boiling butter. That the butter tliat runs oAcr after being applied to the wound is ncA'cr wasted, but drunk up, is a matter of course. They say if it does not burn like fire it does no good, and it is incredible how