'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎692] (791/905)

692
SCIENCES AND ARTS OP ARABIA. [CHAP. XXV.
Modes of There are many remedies peculiar to the country, such as im-
Ambfa. in mersing the body up to the neck in sand or earth, to cure a
fever ; placing it in the skin of a horse, or other animal freshly
flayed, to relieve serious bruises or wounds; and they cauterise
with red-hot needles, to relieve rheumatic or gouty pains.
Sword and gun-shot wounds are attempted to be cured by
pouring into them boiling-hot melted butter; while bruises,
inflammations, &c., are assuaged by the leaves of the prickly
pear, roasted on embers, and applied to the part affected ; but
the physician of the present day, though he unite in himself
the mixed vocations of farrier, cattle-doctor, apothecary, and
chemist, can scarcely subsist. To the Arabs, however, we
owe much with respect to medicine; the healing properties of
plants were treated at large by Ibn A1 Baitar f and camphor,
naphtha, jalap, with other ingredients, came to us from Arabia.
The apothecary, called as szandala, 2 was made responsible
that his drugs were genuine, and sold at reasonable prices ;
and a knowledge of botany and chemistry, with the art of pre
paring medicines, were stated to be qualifications necessary to
a physician. To these, however, was added skill in astrology.
Authors of Besides astronomy and medicine, the ancient Arabs were
scienceand skilled in mathematics and the mechanical arts. Ibn A1 Hai-
art ' tama produced a work on geometry. 3 Muhammed Ben Maruf
another on horology, which included descriptions of solar
dials, and both sand and water clocks. 4 And Ahil Az Ismael
A1 Jezireh described the art of manufacturing astrolabes,
quadrants and other mathematical instruments. The use of
numerals came to us from the East, through the intervention
of the Arabs, to whom we are also indebted for the arts of
preparing superior steel, dressing leather, and dying with
indigo. Finally, in addition to the work of Abu Bekr Ben
W akshia, 5 on agriculture, there have been some valuable trea
tises in Arabic, on the management of cattle, and the cultiva
tion of rice. In the times of the Khalifs the Arabs are said
to have been acquainted with a species of compass. 6 Among
1 Arabic MS. in the British Museum, translated by Dr. Aloys Sprenger.
4 Ibid., 735T. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid.
6 Ba'ilak Hibdjaki describes a rude compass, consisting of two cross pieces