Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-02-14
HAHMED, THE DERviSE:.
Or. the Adventures Of a Physician

HA7M60, tT1E O6RVtOG..
Or, the Adventures Of a Physician
In the year 1923, Gustayus Rain
band. after a brilliant examination
had the honor of receiving his degree
as Doctor of Medicine, at Paris. Ht
was a gay, sprightly young man Q
adventurous spirit, t,who had only studi
ed the art of Hippocrates and Galen il
obedience to the wishes of his father
who was one of the first physician;
of Toulouse; and no sooner was he
armed with bis diploma than be left
Paris and returned home to get per
mission of his father to make tour
of the East. He wished to see Con.
stantinople, and to visit Greece, to
offer up a sacrifice to Esculapius, in
the place where the deity of the heal
ing art was formally worshiped.
His father granted his wishes, and
Gustavus being well supplied with
letters of recommendation for all our
consuls, set out for Marseilles, where
he embarked on board of fast sail
ing brig, and arrived without accident
in the capitol of the commander Of
the believers of Mahmoud, who was
reigning at that period. His first
visit was to cur embassdor at the sub
lime Port, who received him very
kindly.
BE careful, said his excellency,
for there is a report that the plague
is in the city,
'Oh, your -excelleney,' replied Gus
tavus, that plague is afraid of us
physicians 9a
DO you expect to remain long in
Constantinople?' continued the am.
bassador. eh
'About six months, with permission
of your excellency, after which ]
wish to go and see the ruins of an
cient Troy, Argos, Athens, Delous
and the island of Ithica, where, as
Homer says, there are no horses, but
very beautiful goats
After his visit to the ambassador
he took stroll through the streets
to view the city. Dressed in the
European fashion, his black coat but
toned to the chin, he went forward,
his eye on the lookout, in momentary
expectation of seing the symbolical
boquet of some beautiful Sultana fall
at his feet.
Before he had gone far a door
opened a short distance in front Of
him, and an old negress, half con.
cealed by a white veil, came forth.
The old woman advanced toward
the young man, and after an oriental
salutation, said to him:
'Hekim?'
Gustavus only knew one word ol
Turkish, and it was this word, which
being interpreted, mears doctor.
Yes, my good woman, said he, q
am doctor of medicine, from Paris
and pupil of Velpeau and Dupu'
ytren; nothing else
The negress did not understand
him, for he spoke the French Ian
guage; but for her, as well as the peo
pie of Constantinople generally, every
Frank is a physician. .
She made sign to Gustavus t.
follow her, and the young doctor, re
membering all at once the words o
the ambassador, said to himself:
The plague is at Constantinople--
but pshaw! am no anti-contagionist;
besides, it is my business. Moreover
whatever is to be will be-
And following the footsteps 0
the negress, he entered the hous'
{ which she had just quilted.
| Ii was a palace. The interio
court was spacious, and paved wit
slabs of many colored marble; it wa
. likewise surrounded by flower beds
enameled with beautiful flowers, an
magnificent galleries supported b.
delicate collonnades. At each angl
of the house rose rich kiosk, (tul
ret) adorned with arabesques an
maxims from the Koran, in letters
gold.
The negress conducted Gustayu
into one Of these kiosks, where b
found the master Of the hous
stretched upon a diyan, with his pip
in his mouth awaiting the Frank do
tor.
.Al Hekimp said the negress, vi
retired
!. The Turk arose.
n You are a Frenchman, sir9 sa'
) be, with as pure an accent as if he b
been born ip the Rue St Dominiqu