Producing a stethoscope, he placed one end of it upon my chest, and the other to his ear. This proceeding gave rise to great astonishment amidst the assembled visitors, who eagerly pressed forward to witness the operation.
"Donnerwetter!" said the indignant physician in German. "Haide, go away!" This last word in Turkish to the Armenians, who, frightened at the sonorous sounds of the "Donnerwetter," had already withdrawn for a few steps.
There were also some Turkish peasants in the room. They had made friends with Mohammed. He had placed them behind two cows in a corner, so that they might have a good view of the doctor.
"What is he doing to the Effendi?" inquired one of them of Mohammed.
"He is looking into his body," observed another.
Mohammed himself now craned out his neck in my direction.
"Effendi! is he looking into your stomach?"
"No; he is listening to the beats of my heart."
"How clever these Franks are!" said one of the Turks. "They do not even take the trouble to look; they are quite satisfied by listening."
"I wish the hakim would put the instrument on my chest; it would do me good," he continued.