known them applied with success, and without the least suspicion of having any repelling quality, in the gout. In slight wounds, bruises and inflammations, or else in order to harden and consolidate the parts, some persons take the powder of alhenna, (Phyt. No. 7.) and make it up with warm water, into a cataplasm. This, when applied, tinges the skin with a tawny orange colour, which continues for some months; and, what is more surprising, the tincture passes quickly into the blood, and in one night's time tinges the urine of a saffron colour. In green wounds, and some other of the above mentioned cases, the leaves likewise of madramam, as they call the virga aurea minor foliis glutinosis, have a good effect; whilst the root of toufailet, or thapsia, (Phyt. No. 250.) roasted and applied hot to the hips, or made up into an ointment, is reckoned a specific remedy in the sciatica. These are some of the principal medicines, or douwas, as they are called, that are made use of in this country; in the prescribing or taking of which, they observe no uniform practice, nor exact proportion. For those which regard external cases are sometimes applied so sparingly, as if it was indifferent both to the patient and the physician, whether or no any benefit was intended by them; whilst others, in the same case, act quite the contrary, supposing the larger the cataplasm the speedier the cure. Neither is there much more more caution used in such medicines as are given inwardly. For a handful at random, whether of dry or green herbs, is the common dose; which, if taken in a decoction, they usually pound first in a mortar, and then pour at a venture, half a pint, a whole pint, or more, of boiling-hot water upon it. Compound medicines are very rare. The Moors indeed pretend to have received several of them traditionally from their ancestors; but the few ingredients which the shops of their tibeebs are furnished with to answer such prescriptions, the great reservedness likewise which they shew, in conversing with them upon this subject, appear to be strong suspicions that they are no better versed in the materia medica than the Arabs. The only prescription of this kind that I have met with, is ascribed to Seedy Mahomet Zeroke, a famous Marabbutt, who recommends it in this manner: The lives of us all are in the hands of God, and when IT IS WRITTEN, we must die. However, it has pleased God to save many persons from the PLAGUE, by taking every morning, while the infection rages, one 'pill or two of the following composition; viz. of myrrh, 2 parts; saffron, 1 part; aloes, 2 parts; syrop of myrtle berries, q. s.*.' 6 SEC * This however was described long before by Razi, and known to all following physicians, under the name of Pil. Rufi ad pestilentiam præcavendam, &c. as a learned physician, among other critical remarks, has lately informed me.. 363 SECTION III. Of their knowledge in Mathematics. NEITHER are these people much more conversant in any of the branches of mathematics. For, in the first place, they are altogether strangers to those that are speculative and abstracted. Even such quadrants, astrolabes, and other mathematical instruments of their ancestors as have escaped the injuries of time, are looked upon rather as curiosities, than consulted as useful inventions. Besides several of these quadrants, designed chiefly for taking altitudes, I saw one at Tozer, in what we call Oughtred's projection, well executed, and of a foot radius. We are also sometimes favoured with a sight of their kalendars, one of which I have by me, (all of them likewise the works of former ages), wherein the sun's place, the semidiurnal and nocturnal arch, the length of the twilight, with the several hours of prayer for each day in the month, are calculated to a minute, and beautifully inserted in propèr columns. But these again are as little consulted as their instruments; for in case the cloudiness of the weather will not permit them to adjust their small and greater hour glasses to some inaccurate meridian lines, made for that purpose, the times of devotion, which should be punctual to a minute, are left entirely to the will and pleasure of their mwezzims or maedins, maedins, i. e. to the cryers, no other methods being studied for the mensuration of time; and public clocks, from the great aversion perhaps which the Mahometans have to bells, not being allowed of.. Even the very first operations, either in numeral arithmetic or algebra, are not known to one person in twenty thousand; notwithstanding their forefathers, if we may judge from the name*, seem to have been the inventors of the one, as they have given to all Europe the characters † of the other. However, the merchants, besides being frequently very dextrous in the addition and subtraction of large sums by memory, have a singular method of numeration, by putting their hands into each other's sleeve, and there touching one another with this or that finger, or with such a particular joint of it, each of them denoting a determined sum or number, will transact affairs of the greatest value, without speaking to one another, or letting the standers by into the se cret. Yet of a still much more extraordinary nature, provided we could be equally assured of the truth * Jaber est reductio partium ad totum, seu fractionum ad integritatem. Et hinc Algebra nomen habet. Gol. My learned friend above mentioned, acquaints me, that Diophantus wrote on Algebra about the beginning of the fourth century; and that his writings were translated afterwards into Arabic by Albugiani, about A. D. 959, as Abulfaragius informs us. + Our numbers, viz. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. being borrowed from the Arabian VA9 which were originally from the Indians. Vid. Bernardi Tab. literat. seriem vii. truth of it, is the knowledge which the thalebs* are supposed to have in numbers. For they pretend to such a powerful insight into the nature and quality of them, that by differently joining and combining them, they can bring to light a variety of secrets; excite, as well as break the force of charms; and perform a thousand tricks of the like nature. The following diagram, or net, (as in my Arabic MS. †) called haraz el ma barak, *Or Thulby's (vid. note, p. 96.) Studiosi sapientiæ, from Tulaba, quæsivit, he sought after (knowledge). Vid. Gol. + The MS. referred to above, is a little book, which contains not only this, but a variety of other magic charms and figures; wherein frequent prayer is made to God, after he is invoked by Adam's robe, by Eve's head-dress, by Moses' rod, by the gospel of Jesus, &c. that he would bestow his influence upon it, and be propitious to the bearer of it. The Mahometans place so great confidence in it, and indeed in every part of it, that after they have suspended it upon their bosoms, they are afraid of nothing, and will undertake the most dangerous actions. I once saw a strolling Dervishe at Algiers armed with this book, who would have allowed us, nay, even provoked us to fire at his head or breast a loaded gun or pistol, which he confidently assured us could do him no harm. But as it was not prudent to make the experiment, and as the influence of it would be the same, as he affirmed, upon any other creature, we suspended it accordingly upon the neck of a sheep; which indeed, a little to our surprise at first, and to the no small exultation of the Dervishe, stood about a minute after it was shot, before it fell down dead. I have called these diagrams or nets, numeral combinations, and not for what they might have been originally intended, magic squares; some of which consist of four places, as this above does of three; wherein the letters E, S, (interpreted by my late friend, Mr Gagnier, 70, 10, 80,) are often combined with the proper Indian or Arabian figures or numbers p,V,A, &c. We may therefore suspect the MS. to be faulty, and that all these nets (like those in Parnelius' Archidox. Mag. lib. vii. who might borrow them from the Arabians) were originally intended for so many magic squares; as this particularly by chan VOL. I. 3 B ging |