At the
instant of a man's death (if his property is sufficient to justify
the expense) professional howlers are employed.
I believe that
these persons are brought near to the dying man when his end
appears to be approaching, and the moment that life is gone they
lift up their voices and send forth a loud wail from the chamber of
death. Thus I knew when my near neighbours died; sometimes the
howls were near, sometimes more distant. Once I was awakened in
the night by the wail of death in the next house, and another time
by a like howl from the house opposite; and there were two or three
minutes, I recollect, during which the howl seemed to be actually
running along the street.
I happened to be rather teased at this time by a sore throat, and I
thought it would be well to get it cured if I could before I again
started on my travels. I therefore inquired for a Frank doctor,
and was informed that the only one then at Cairo was a young
Bolognese refugee, who was so poor that he had not been able to
take flight, as the other medical men had done. At such a time as
this it was out of the question to send for an European physician;
a person thus summoned would be sure to suppose that the patient
was ill of the plague, and would decline to come. I therefore rode
to the young doctor's residence.
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