Page 352 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

XIX.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 313

fully acknowledge various articles of high re­
pute for which their materia medica is in­

debted to the Arabs ; but in neither of those
branches do they at present possess even re­

spectable attainments. In fevers they wholly
abstain from animal food, drink copiously of
sherbet, and partake freely of melons, cu­

cumbers, and other cooling vegetables. At
Neswah, which contains nearly a thousand
inhabitants, I found it impracticable to pro­

cure an individual who could let blood. Gun­
shot and sabre wounds, where every one car­

ries a matchlock and sword, are of frequent
occurrence, but their treatment is equally
simple, though, from their plain diet, and

temperate habit of body, they are in many
instances uncommonly successful.
Encircled as Maskat is by naked rocks,

the sun’s rays become there concentrated as
into a focus, and the heat at certain seasons

is almost intolerable. On the 10th of April,
at five in the evening, Fahrenheit’s thermo­
meter was 106°, and then not a breath of

wind was stirring. Very generally, however,
during the day this extreme heat is moderated

by cool and refreshing sea-breezes.