Storia do Mogor 140: I go to Lahor and declare Myself as a Physician.

Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 140

Language: English

I go to Lahor and declare Myself as a Physician.

140.1

I lived in Dihli one year in splendid style, having honourable means of making money. Then, by the king's order, Kirat Singh went to Kabul, and I determined to move to Lahor and give myself out as a doctor. I could not start this at Dihli, where there were already some Europeans, while in Lahor there was none. On reaching Lahor I found that Muhammad Amin Khan was governor, Aurangzeb having kept his promise to make him a viceroy. As soon as [134] I arrived I put up in the sarae with my grand carpets and my petty establishment, until I could find a house. I hired one belonging to Barqandaz Khan, my commander in Dara's time (I. 156, 240), and I instructed my servants to inform everyone who asked about me that I was a Farangi doctor. Through this many came to talk with me, and in return I had no want of words, God having given me a sufficiently mercurial temperament. Thus it began to be noised in Lahor that a Frank doctor had arrived, a man of fine manners, eloquent speech, and great experience. I rejoiced at such a reputation, but my heart beat fast, for then I had had no experience. It pleased God, our Sovereign Lord, to open the door to me with a case furnished me by his Divine Providence.

140.2

There came to me in the house where I had settled an old woman, who told me that the wife of the qazi was very ill, and given up by all the Persian and Indian physicians. She requested the favour of my proceeding to the qazi's house to see the woman, and decide whether there was any cure; for all the doctors had said that if anyone cured her they would burn all their books and profess themselves disciples of him who cured her. I put several questions about the illness of the woman; I told the messenger to return home and I would follow, saying that, although the complaint seemed mortal, I would see if there was any remedy.

140.3

I mounted my horse and rode to the qazi's house, followed by my servants. Entering the house, I felt the patient's pulse. The attack was growing more and more severe, and no pulse could be felt, nor could I find out the seat of the disease. I trusted more to several secret experiments I knew, and to my questions. I racked my brains to think of something I could give to the patient that might do her good. I asked if she had been relieved, and they told me that for days she did not know what thing a motion was. This sufficed for me to start my treatment, and I told the old woman that the only thing was to administer a clyster. The old woman and the patient's son were much opposed to this, the Mahomedans having objections to this treatment. But the patient was already speechless. I said : Agar zarurat bayad, rawa bakhshad — that is, ' Necessity has no law ' — which are words of the Quran. Thus they gave in to my resorting to this treatment, and I told the old woman to come to my house in a few hours, and I would give her all that was required for the application.

140.4

I came forth from this house leaving an excellent impression from my many questions and my copious flow of talk. But now came the moment when our Nicolao Manuchy found himself in a difficulty. For I knew not what ingredients I must employ, nor to what implements I could have recourse for this wonderful operation. After much searching of heart, I recollected that the enemas administered to me at Goa were concocted of mallows, wild endive, and some other herbs, with a trifle of bran, black sugar, salt, olive oil, and Canna fistula. I sent out for these things, and made a concoction. But the greatest difficulty was to get the instrument. For this I sent and got a cow's udder, and for the tube I took a piece of cane from a huqqah snake, through which the Mahomedans draw their tobacco. I managed to put these together in a manner that would serve. I placed the concoction into the udder, and fastened the tube to it. Then the old woman came, and to her I made over the injection, teaching her how she was to deal with it. I enjoined on her to come and inform me when the operation had been performed.

140.5

I declared to her that if in a period of three hours the enema did not take effect, the patient had no hope of life. It was advisable for me to make this assertion, since, should the patient die I could say I had foretold the result as inevitable. This was necessary to keep my reputation intact. Off went the old woman, and my heart began to beat hard, knowing not what effect the medicine might have. Soon I heard a knocking at my door as by one in haste. My anxiety was redoubled. It might be the news of the patient's death, through which I should lose the reputation that I was in search of. For the Mahomedans easily assign one a reputation, and as easily take it away. A happy cure at the start suffices to give the greatest credit, even if the cure be a mere accident. On the contrary, if there is a failure in the first case, even when the doctor is exceedingly learned and experienced, it suffices to prevent him ever being esteemed.

140.6

I sent to have the door opened, when the old woman fell at my feet and gave me many blessings, telling me that the patient had already begun to mend, that she had had a large stool with great violence, voiding pellets as hard as camel-dung. Thus she urgently prayed me to visit the qazi's house to see the patient and continue the cure. Proud and elated by this news, I told her how necessary it was to confide in experienced physicians, that if I had not given her this medicament, composed of ingredients [136] known to me alone, the patient was bound to die. I went and found the patient had already begun to speak, and recognise everyone who was present. She was very different from what she had been for some days, for they told me that she knew no one and could not speak. I thought it advisable to discharge nature farther, so I gave her a light medicine, continuing it daily until the system was well cleansed. Then, with chicken-broth and bezoar stone, I began to strengthen the patient in such a way that in a few days she was restored to perfect health.

140.7

This case became notorious among the principal men in Lahor, for this wife was much loved by her husband, the qazi, so that he had called in all the physicians to treat her disease. Thus there began to be talk of the Farangi doctor who was capable of resuscitating the dead. This caused me to be called in by many sick persons, and by adhering to certain books I had, I succeeded by God's favour in almost every case in which I was sent for.

140.8

My fame reached the court of Muhammad Amin Khan, governor of the city and viceroy of the province of Lahor. He sent for me, and after a long conversation on the subject of diseases and good health, he wanted to make me take service with him, offering me little pay but great liberty. But I knew the style of man, very haughty, far from genial, just like the character of his father, Mir Jumlah. So I said that as to becoming his servant, I objected; still, I should not fail to appear at the palace whenever necessary, either for himself or for those of his family. He was a little put out by my answer, but I paid no attention to that, for I was already on friendly terms with the chief people in the city, and by God's blessing my practice was successful. Thus I knew of a certainty that, in spite of Muhammad Amin Khan's desire to do me an injury, he would never dare. He would not give such an opening to the other nobles to make complaint of him at the court of Dihli. On the other hand, although he was much aggrieved at my not frequenting his audiences, he betrayed no anger, for he saw I was of use for attending his wives and sons. There happened to me a terrible business at the time of his departure from Lahor for Kabul, of which I will speak in its proper place (II. 150).