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MEDICAL SCIENCE AMONG THE ARABS. 169
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living by other pursuits. Many supplied the students with
board and lodging, in order to earn, by the presents and
money they received from them, something towards defray­
ing their expenses. Sometimes they selected a son-in-law
from among them.* The lectures were delivered either
with or without the use of a copy or notes. SAMACH-
SCHARI made the witty remark: " The reputation of the
learned man lies in his lecture-book like that of the
merchant in his money-box." The words of the teacher
were copied down by the students, and the latter
even subjected themselves to reproof if they neglected
this. The teacher ascertained for himself by questions
whether the students had understood the substance of his
discourse. Discussions often ensued, in which it occasionally
happened that an able scholar, finding himself by chance
among the listeners, achieved a victory over the teacher
himself.f Entrance to the lectures was free to all, without
distinction of nationality. In the lecture halls were to be
seen youths, hardly outgrown their boyhood, beside middle-
aged and even white-bearded old men. Many came from
far off in order to learn the opinions of a noted teacher.
Since Arabic was used in teaching in all countries subject
to Islam, it was easy for the learned of the several nations
to make themselves understood by one another,—to increase
their own knowledge or to communicate it to others. The
love of travel manifested by the Arabs, aroused by religious
pilgrimages, was thus promoted among the men of learning
and students. In their wanderings from one high school to
another they effected an exchange of intellectual acquisitions
and contributed in this way to produce an equal develop­
ment of culture in all countries subject to the Arab sway.
The students often had drawn out for them by the teachers
testimonials of attendance at their lectures and the permis­
sion was accorded them in writing to spread abroad by
tongue or by pen the knowledge they had acquired. Some
* HANEBERG op. cit. S. 31. t HANEBERG op. cit. S. 12.