A chaplet belonging to a King of Brak

• History of the Origin of Medicine -
• Author: LETTSOM, John Coakley (1744-1815)
• A most interesting feature of this book is the remarkable hand-coloured frontispiece depicting a chaplet that belonged to the king of Brak, near Senegal. To this chaplet is attached a variety of gigris, consisting of small pieces of paper with passages from the Koran, enclosed in small pouches covered with hairy skin, scarlet or purple-coloured cloth or leather. The chaplet is also decorated with shells and antelope horns covered with coloured linen. The gigris was for protection against thunderbolts and diseases, a help in procuring many wives, prevention against ship-wreck when fishing, or slavery in war, etc.