Storia do Mogor 203.5
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 203.5
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203.5.1
There are some who from time to time affect the invalid, simply that they may have the chance of some conversation with, and have their pulse felt by, the physician who comes to see them. The latter stretches out his hand inside the curtain; they lay hold of it, kiss it, and softly bite it. Some, out of curiosity, apply it to their breast, which has happened to me several times; but I pretended not to notice, in order to conceal what was passing from the matrons and eunuchs then present, and not arouse their suspicions. Physicians are very well treated by these ladies, and they too, on their side, maintain much discretion both in their way of acting and in their speech, which is always restrained and polished. These ladies are also very liberal in making presents to the nobles of the court, and most industrious in obtaining appointments and promotion for those that they esteem. The presents they make consist of horses, sarapas (robes), plumes, and other things. Very rarely is any service done them or any civility shown that they do not acknowledge it in one way or another, subject, of course, to treating everyone according to his merit, or, rather, according to how he touches the heart of the lady. Thus I have seen how the daughter of Aurangzeb acted towards the Nawab Zu,lfiqar Khan and his father.
203.5.2
This Nawab, having been sent by the king to govern the Karnatik, went before starting to take leave of this princess, because he was married to one of her relations. She presented him with a box for betel-leaf and a spittoon of gold, all covered with precious stones. A year afterwards the king sent his son, Kam Bakhsh, to the same place, for reasons of state, under charge of the wazir, Asad Khan, father of the Nawab above named. He, too (the wazir), went to bid good-bye to the same princess ; she gave him a present of another box for betel, which was only of enamelled silver. Asad Khan, seeing a present of such small value, complained, and said that at the least he deserved a present equal to that of his son, for he was the father, and held higher rank, being, moreover, chief minister of the empire. The princess in reply said there was a difference, he (the son) being her relation, while he (the father) was only in their service. The good man was overcome by this retort, and having made her an obeisance such as is rendered to the king — this being done to all persons of the blood royal, however distantly related they may be — he retired.
203.5.3
The mode in which one bids adieu to these ladies is not such as one might imagine, for you never see them at all. Here is what happens at these meetings : First you go to the door of the mahal, and there speak to the eunuchs, stating the purpose for which you have come. You say you wish your presence announced to the person from whom you are to take leave. The eunuchs carry the message and bring the reply, for, as I said, none of the ladies appear, except when they go out, when they sit in their covered seat, whence they see everything by a little window made of a netting of thread of gold. In a word, no man ever approaches these ladies except their husbands and the doctors who feel their pulses. Nobles dismount, and from afar off make their bow ; to those whom they think more highly of the ladies send word to draw near, and themselves move on for some steps at a gentle pace. Then, when they wish to proceed, they send from their seat some betel-leaf by the hand of a eunuch, as if to send their compliments and a farewell. On receiving this, the noble makes another bow and goes on his way. This is an honour that I myself have received on various occasions.
203.5.4
Among other occasions there was one when the king's wife, the mother of Shah 'Alam, was graciously pleased to give me this testimony of her goodwill towards me in recognition of my having accompanied the prince, her son, from Goa to the court. This princess showed me great affection because I had attended her and bled her several times, in addition to which she had often to send for me, as she suffered much from gout. As it was I who prescribed for her, she often sent me some dainty, as is the fashion of these ladies to do to those they esteem. When I bled her, she put her arm out from the curtain, but wrapped up, leaving only one little spot uncovered, about as wide as two fingers, close to the veins. For that attendance I got from her four hundred rupees and a sardpd (set of robes) as a present, and I bled her regularly twice a year.
203.5.5
It should be understood that before a European can acquire the office of physician among these princes he must be put to the proof for a long time, for they are extremely distrustful and nice in such matters. Every month the princesses and the ladies have themselves bled, which is done in the way I have above described. It is just the same when they want themselves bled in the foot, or have any wound or fistula dressed. Nothing is ever shown but the part affected, or the vein they wish opened. When I bled the wives and daughters of Shah 'Alam, each of them gave me two hundred rupees and a sardpd; but when I had to bleed that prince who was my employer, and he was at the court, I could not do it without the leave of the king. For this bleeding I got four hundred rupees, a sardpd, and a horse. When I had finished I had to report [16] to the king the quantity of blood I had drawn, what was the prince's reigning humour, and reply according to circumstances to the inquiries made by the king on this subject. After this he would give me my dismissal, granting me a sardpd. For each bleeding of one of the prince's sons I received two hundred rupees, a sardpd, and a horse.
203.5.6
Since I have spoken of physicians, and the way the princes and princesses act towards them, I shall state here that the Mogul himself is extremely choice and scrupulous over the selection of his physicians, appointing always the most learned and the most experienced, in order the better to preserve his health. What is more, as there are so many people in his palace, and his court extraordinarily numerous, he keeps in his employ several physicians, to whom the following names are given, which agree either with their knowledge or the treatment and cures they have accomplished :
203.5.7
Great Physician Aquim Busurg Hakim-i-buzurg Physician of the Country Aquim Elmulq Hakim-ul-mulk Physician of Sight Aquim Bina Hakim i-bina Beneficent Physician Aquim Mossen Hakim-i-muhsin Life-giving Physician Aquim Janbalch Hakim-i-jan-bakhsh Physician of Believers Aquim Momena Hakim-i-mu'min Physician in Place Aquim Muzin Hakim-i-muzaiyan Instructed Physician Aquim Fased Hakim-i-fazil Physician Slave of Victory Aquim Abdul Fata Hakim 'Abd-ul-fattah Favoured Physician Aquim Taccarrob can Hakim Taqarrub Khan Good-natured Physician Aquim Salle Hakim Salah Physician of the Pulse Aquim Nabas Hakim Nab? Physician Cherished by God Aquim Alayar Hakim Allahyar Physician Unparalleled Aquim Nader Hakim Nadir Physician Friend of God Aquim Coda Doste Hakim Khuda-dost Physician Giving Repose Aquim Faradbach Hakim Farah-bakhsh Physician Divine Aquim Emteriani Physician of the Body Aquim Badan Hakim Badan Faultless Physician Aquim Becata Hakim Be-khata (?) Physician Assistant Aquim Moccorrom can Hakim Mukarrab Khan Plato of the Century Aflutum El zamana Aflatun-uz-zamanah Aristotle of the Century Aristu El zamana Aristu-uz-zamanah Galen of the Century Jalisny El zamana Jalinus-uz-zamanah Hippocrates of the Century Pocraig El zamana Buqrat-uz-zamanah Bu Ali (Avicenna) of the Century Bualy El zamanah Bu 'Ali-uz-zamanah
203.5.8
All the physicians whose names are recorded above are Persians by race. Those bearing the title of khan — that is, ' noble ' — have a gross allowance of from twenty, thirty, fifty, one hundred, to two hundred thousand rupees a year. I have seen among them men who cured hot complaints with cooling remedies. Few of them know anything about, or can cure, the stone, paralysis, apoplexy, dropsy, anaemia, malignant fevers, or other difficult complaints. They follow the ancient books of medicine, which say a great deal, but tell very little. However, illnesses in the Mogul country are very easy to cure, owing to the heat, which causes perspiration and thus relieves the patient. When these physicians enter the seraglio (mahal) the eunuchs lead them, their heads covered with something thick, which falls as low as their stomach, as I have already said, and they are brought back equipped in the same fashion. It is the habit of these kings to have usually in their service seven thousand slaves of different nations, and some among them are established as chiefs to govern and guide the rest. The king gives them names, and in my time these chief slaves were called as follows. I append a list, in which one will not be displeased at finding the meanings as entered below :