Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/477

 THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 449

faying, at the fame time, in very vulgar Arabic, " Kifhalek howaja?" (how do you do, merchant). I never in my hfe was more pleafed with diftant fakitations than at this time. I anfwered, " Peace be among you ! I am a phyfician, and not a merchant."

I SHALL not entertain the reader with the muhitude of their complaints ; being a lady's phyfician, difcretion and filence are my firft duties, h is fufficient to fay, that there was not one part of their whole bodies, infide and outflde, in which fome of them had not ailments. The three queens infilled upon being blooded, which defire I complied with, as it was an operation that required fliort attendance ; but, upon producing the lancets, their hearts failed them. They then all cried out for the Tabange, v>rhich, in Arabic, means a piilol ; but what they meant by this word was, the cupping inflrument, which goes off with a fpring like the fnap of a piftol. I had two of thefe with me, but not at that time in my pocket. I fent my fervant home, however, to bring one, and, that fame evening, performed the ope- ration upon the three queens with great fuccefs. The room was overflowed with an effufion of royal blood, and the whole ended with their infifling upon my giving them the inflrument itfelf, which I was obliged to do, after cup- ping, two of their flaves before them, who had no com- plaints, merely to fliew them how the operation was to be performed.

Another night I was obliged to attend them, and gave

the queens, and two or three of the great ladies, vomits. I

will fpare my reader the recital of fo naufeous a fcene.

The ipecacuanha had great effeft, and warm water was

Vol. IV. 3 L drunk