Of the MAL d’ALEPPO.
A Cutaneous disease, thought by some to be peculiar to this place, has
acquired the name of _Il mal d’Aleppo_, or _Aleppo evil_, among the
_Europeans_. The natives call it _Habt il senne_, or _Botch of a year_,
from the supposed time of its duration. In _Turkish_, _Haleb Choban_, or
_the Aleppo ulcer_. This disease is not, however, peculiar to this place,
being almost as common at _Antab_, and all the other villages on the
banks of the rivers _Sejour_ and _Coick_, as at this place; which favours
the opinion of its being occasioned by the water.
The natives reckon but two species of this disorder, and distinguish them
by the names of male and female; but there is a third kind of cutaneous
distemper, which, though it is commonly ascribed to the bite or sting of
a common millepedes, or wood-louse, seems to me to be altogether of the
same nature, though milder in degree.
What they call the male distemper, makes its appearance in the form of a
small, red, hard tubercle or pimple, which commonly passes some weeks
unregarded, as it gives no manner of uneasiness: afterwards it begins to
encrease, and usually comes to the size of an _English_ sixpence, which,
after some months, begins to be scurfy on the top; by degrees the little
matter that oozes out of it, forms into a thick crusty scab; which,
unless it is picked off, or otherwise disturbed, remains upon it till the
parts underneath being healed, it falls off, and leaves but a very small
mark. The whole of its duration is seldom above eight months.
What is called the female species begins like the former; but after a
month or two it becomes somewhat painful, encreases often to double
the extent of the male, discharges a good deal of the ichorous matter
from under the scab, and by degrees comes to have the appearance of an
indigested scorbutic ulcer, with a livid circle round it; but seems to be
no deeper than the _tunica cellulosa_. In this condition it remains for
several months, and is in general about a year from its first appearance
before it is cured: but this is not a thing certain, many getting well
some months sooner, while others remain several months longer. After it
is cicatrised, it leaves an ugly scar, which remains thro’ life, and for
many months has a livid colour. When they are not irritated, they seldom
give much pain.
The third kind of _Mal_, which they call the pinch of a millepedes,
begins like the two others, but seldom grows larger than about twice the
size of a large pin’s head, and never changes its appearance, remaining a
small tubercle for many months, without any pain, after which, it usually
throws off a few scurfy scales and disappears; but some remain a much
longer time.
It affects the natives when they are children, and generally appears in
the face, though they also have some on their extremities; for most of
them have two, three, or sometimes more, it being rare that they have but
one. In strangers, it commonly appears some months after their arrival;
and they have them not so frequently on the face as the natives: very few
escape having them, but they seldom affect the same person above once;
dogs and cats are as subject to the disease as men; it commonly breaks
out upon the nose of these creatures.
In respect to the cure, like the tooth-ach, or ague with us, every
one pretends to an infallible remedy for them; but the many beautiful
faces, daily impaired by the disease, are too evident proofs of their
ill success: and in truth, from what I have observed, it is infinitely
better to apply nothing, than any of the numberless medicines they make
use of.
Of several applications that I made trial of upon myself and some others,
I found the mercurial plaister the most efficacious; the prescription
was the same as the _Emplastrum commune cum mercurio_, with a smaller
proportion of mercury, and a little larger of _Bals. sulphur._
If this was applied at the beginning, it often prevented their making
any farther progress; if they had begun to run, it hindered them from
increasing so much as they would otherwise have done, and generally cured
them before their usual time. This is to be understood of that called
the female; for the male, as well as the third kind, seldom require any
medicinal application.
The reader, it is hoped, is now no longer a stranger to most of the
particulars relating to _Aleppo_; but I cannot conclude these sheets,
without rendering justice to their natural patrons, the gentlemen
of the _British_ factory there, who still maintain that excellent
character, for which they have been long celebrated, of mitigating the
inconveniences that necessarily attend their residence in that city, by
the perfect harmony in which they live, and improving every circumstance
of advantage by the same social quality, of which, having been so long
witness, and in which being so much a partaker, I make no doubt, the
public will receive with candor, this testimony which gratitude requires.