that every doctor in Arabia and El Masr, from Abou Sina down to Sheik Daoud, has written a treatise on fever, and each has propounded a doctrine of his own. Some say the disorder is in the blood, others in the nerves; pray what part do you think is the seat of the disorder?'

“If I must speak my mind on the subject,' said I, putting on one of my most solemn looks, 'I must declare I am unanimously of the opinion of both, and believe fever to be a nervous as well as a sanguineous malady.'

"I had generally found the medium, in conflicting opinions, the vantage ground in a discussion; I therefore made it the rule of my life to avoid extremes, and this is the secret of all my success. The doctor had never dreamed of a man siding with both the opponents in a dispute; he looked at me with surprise,

"But tell me, I beseech you,' said he, ' what do you think of the nature of the disease? You surely cannot agree with both; it must either be hot, or it must be cold?'

“On that point, my learned colleague,' said I, I do not coincide with either: it does not

follow that a malady must be cold, because it is

not hot. (The hakkim stared.)—No such thing. I believe the disease is neither one nor the other —I hold it to be—lukewarm.'

"The doctor was utterly confounded. I saw the rage of an outraged theorist swelling in his throat. He tried to be calm.

And the cure, Effendi!' he exclaimed,

how, in the name of the prophet, blessed be his memory! do you accomplish that? There are but two classes of remedies, hot and cold. Tell me, by the soul of your father, which do you employ ?'

"I do not employ either of them,' I replied; 'I am nature's nurse tender, and not the slave of art.'

666

Why, then,' cried the doctor, do you call yourself a hakkim? if you administer no reme

dies, you can do no good to your patients.'

"I do not try,'

avoid doing harm;

said I; my object is, to

and I have the satisfaction

to think, that no one can accuse me of killing my patients, as my only drugs are bread pills.'

"Beard of Mahomet !' cried the hakkim, 'do you not let them die? and is it not all one whether they go to eternity on bread pills, or the most

approved prescriptions? But now that we have discussed the theory of fever, its seat, the nature of its symptoms, and its treatment, perhaps it would be as well to inquire, what is fever ?"

"This was rather an important question, and my opponent thought it was a poser. I pushed my turban off my forehead; I took a draught of water; I gave a preparatory hem, and I delivered my sentiments on the subject in these words:—

"What is fever !—I thank the apostle for you; for he of whom you have asked the question, has made the disease the study of his life; he has read every volume of the twenty thou sand books which have been written on the subject; he has conversed with every doctor of eminence, who has observed the disorder; and if there be a physician in the universe capable of enlightening your mind on the topic you have started, I am he.'

"The hakkim cocked his ears; he put the hollow of his hand to the lobe of each, lest he should lose a sound, Know then, Effendi,' I exclaimed, that the question you propose is

one which has puzzled the faculty for three

thousand years, and here, for the first time since the very beginning of the world, is it about to be solved.

"A fever, Effendi, whatever the million of fools, who are called physicians, may say to the contrary, is nothing more nor less-'

666 Speak, for the love of Allah,' cried the hakkim, almost breathless with impatience.

"Than a fever, Effendi,' I continued, 'you may take my word for the fact.'

"I heard a groan uttered as I concluded my definition; I did not wait to hear a second; I gathered up the skirts of my beneesh with great dignity, and quitted the house."

CHAPTER XV.

Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprights,
And show the best of our delights;
I'll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform the antique round;
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.

Macbeth.

Zadig having refreshed himself with a cup of the sweet waters of Roknabad, continued his story.

66

My friends, as usual, interfered with my projects. They said I was mad to sit down as a practitioner, between two physicians whom they were pleased to consider the two old stools between which the new comer was to fall. The stools gave way, but I contrived to keep my legs, and in a little time I had all the patients of both my