Storia do Mogor 354.3.5

354.3.5

Ordinarily the princes and princesses have themselves bled twice in the month of March, and the interval between the two bleedings does not exceed twenty-four hours. The operation is begun half an hour before the setting of the sun. Three days afterwards they take a purge ; but if necessity demands a shorter interval [113] they do not wait the three days, but are governed by the requirements of the case. In the month of September the same procedure is repeated. The first time that Shãh 'Alam had blood let by me I was summoned to the Maal (mahal), which means palace, and went into the saral (same) — that is, seraglio. He showed me his arm, inquiring if his veins were visible, and asked if I should give him any pain when I drew the blood. When I heard this question, I took hold of his arm, and looking at it, said without a pause that the vein could be opened without the least difficulty, and he would be quite satisfied. I quickly tied his arm with a bandage of fine broad cloth without stretching the skin very much. As I took up my lancet to make the incision, he stopped me, and said I ought to stretch and rub the arm well, as other blood-letters did. I answered that his Highness need not be alarmed, that I knew what I was doing.