Pagina 930 van 1116

[FN#100] Arab. "Kohl," in India, Surmah, not a "collyrium," but

powdered antimony for the eyelids. That sold in the bazars is not

the real grey ore of antimony but a galena or sulphuret of lead.

Its use arose as follows. When Allah showed Himself to Moses on

Sinai through an opening the size of a needle, the Prophet

fainted and the Mount took fire: thereupon Allah said,

"Henceforth shalt thou and thy seed grind the earth of this

mountain and apply it to your eyes!" The powder is kept in an

etui called Makhalah and applied with a thick blunt needle to the

inside of the eyelid, drawing it along the rim; hence etui and

probe denote the sexual rem in re and in cases of adultery the

question will be asked, "Didst thou see the needle in the

Kohl-pot ?" Women mostly use a preparation of soot or lamp-black

(Hind. Kajala, Kajjal) whose colour is easily distinguished from

that of Kohl. The latter word, with the article (Al-Kohl) is the

origin of our "alcohol;" though even M.