leed
sometimes, and cup often. In the latter operation, they first subject
the skin of the part to slight excoriations; and afterwards place over it
a bullock's horn, open at the point. They exhaust the air within, and
when a sufficient vacuum is obtained, stop up the hole with a pellet of
chewed paper. When they wish to remove the cup they have only to remove
this mastic.

The Lama physicians attach extreme importance to the inspection of the
patient's water. They always require various specimens of it, collected
at different hours of the day and night. They examine it with the most
minute attention, and take the greatest heed to all the changes undergone
by its colour. They whip it, from time to time, with a wooden spatula,
and then put it up to the ear to ascertain what degree, if any, of noise
it makes; for in their view, a patient's water is mute or silent,
according to his state of health. A Lama physician, to attain the
character of thorough ability in his profession, must be able to treat
and cure a patient without having ever seen him, the inspection of the
water sufficing as a guide in the preparation of his prescriptions.

As we have said elsewhere, in speaking of the Tartar-Mongols, the Lamas
introduce many superstitious practices into medicine. Yet,
notwithstanding all this quackery, there is no doubt that they possess an
infinite number of very valuable recipes, the result of long experience.
It were, perhaps, rash to imagine that medical science has nothing to
learn from the Tartar, Thibetian, and Chinese physicians, on the pretext
that they are not acquainted with the structure and mechanism of the
human body. They may, nevertheless, be in possession of very important
secrets, which science alone, no doubt, is capable of explaining, but
which, very possibly, science itself may never discover. Without being
scientific, a man may very well light upon extremely scientific results.
In China, Tartary, and Thibet, everybody can make gunpowder; yet it may
be safely propounded that not one of these powder-makers can explain
scientifically this chemical operation; each man has a good receipt for
making the powder, and he makes it.

Towards September, we received the joyful intelligence that the Thibetian
embassy had arrived at Tang-Keou-Eul, where it was to remain for several
days, in order to lay in a stock of provisions, and arrange its order of
march. Thus, then, after long and annoying delay, we