tunity of afcertaining the efficacy of the method employed for the cure of the elephantiafis by the Hindoo physicians, which is described with great care in the second volume of the Afiatic Refearches, printed at Calcutta.

Perhaps there is not a country upon earth, where the diforder that corrupts the fources of future generations is more widely diffufed than in Egypt. It's ravages, though checked by the warmth of the climate, copious perspiration, and warm baths, are not the lefs formidable; and, as no remedies are employed, to ftop their progrefs, they fometimes produce the moft terrible effects.

is a

Ophthalmia, or inflammation of the eyes, disease, that may truly be deemed endemic here. Egypt is the country of the one-eyed and blind. Eyes perfectly found, and eye-lids neither bleared nor fwelled, are rarely to be feen. Misfortune too has it's bodies corporate; and the revolt of that of the blind at Cairo has fometimes made the government tremble..

If we may believe Haffelquitz,* the vapours that exhale from the stagnant waters are the chief

* Travels in the Levant, French Tranflation, part ii. p. 117.

caufe

cause of these diforders of the eyes. But the ancient Egyptians paid the utmost attention to their canals: they cleaned them, and left in them no water to ftagnate: yet they alfo were liable to ophthalmia. On the fame principle, this author attributes the greater prevalence of complaints of the eyes at Cairo, than in any other part of Egypt, to the exhalations from the canal, that traverses this city. Yet, in the month of Auguft, the very period when the moft fetid vapours exhale from this canal, I spent almoft whole days at the window of an apartment looking over it, without pcr ceiving the leaft inconvenience, except the offenfive fmell. If there be more blind perfons at Cairo than elsewhere, it is because it's population is very confiderable; and befides, the poor repair thither from all parts, in hopes of finding more affiftance. Disorders of the eyes, however, are equally prevalent in the other parts of Egypt; and though at Cairo I preferved my eyes unhurt, I was very near lofing one of them at Saïd.

The exceffive heat, the air, impregnated with nitrous particles, the acrid and burning duft which the winds diffufe through the air, are the chief caufes of diforders of the eyes. I have had frequent opportunities of experiencing this. If the wind blew a little strong, I could not expofe myfelf to it for an inftant in the middle of the day, on the

terrace

terrace of the houfe in which I dwelt at Cairo, without experiencing a very painful inflammation in the eyes. The burning pain often continued for several days; and I could not get rid of it without the use of cooling lotions.

Among the causes of that blindness, which is fo common at Cairo, and in all the large towns, must be reckoned the frequent watering of the streets and apartments. To temper the heat, a great quantity of water is fprinkled over them feveral times in a day. The ground, for the streets are not paved, being heated to a great degree, fends up after these waterings nitrous and fiery exhalations, which are offenfive to the eyes. After I was cured of the ophthalmia, with which I had been attacked, my eyes remained very weak, and I obferved, that whenever the ground was watered, or the gallery in which I was, I felt pain in my eyes, and was blind for a few moments. This is a remark, that I believe had never yet been made. There can be no doubt, that water, fprinkled copiously and repeatedly on a burning foil, which contains abundance of faline particles, must send acrid vapours, which may be confidered as one of the principal causes of blindness.

up

Some fecondary caufes exift, to render difeafes of the eyes more frequent, than they were among the

ancient

ancient Egyptians; as the bad quality of the aliments, on which the prefent inhabitants of the country feed, and which impart to the fluids an acrimony; that neceffarily induces feveral diforders, particularly those of the organ of fight; to which muft be added the extreme propenfity of the Egyptians to pleasures, which are feldom thofe of love.*

* Multiplicatio coitus eft nocibilior res oculo. Avicen. 3, cap. 5.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXIII.

Circumcifion of females-Sect of Saadi, or Serpent

E

Eaters

VERY one knows in what the circumcifion of males confifts: every one knows, that the Jews and Mahometans are circumcifed. Among the ancient Egyptians it was confidered as an indifpenfable operation. Whether their climate neceffarily required it, is a question, which I fhall not attempt to refolve here; though to me it ap pears almost inconteftible, that circumcifion, if not abfolutely neceffary, is at least of great utility in this country, among a rude and negligent people. It is practifed likewise by the Copts, who, not thinking themselves fufficiently secure of an entrance into paradife in confequence of the baptism they receive as Chriftians, reckon circumcifion among the precepts of their religion, as well as the Mahometans with whom they live. How strange is a religious. practice, which nature difavows, and which cannot be mentioned without offence to modefty! The particulars of an operation, which is the fame among all who follow the religion of Mahomet, will find their proper place in my Travels in Turkey :

but