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Full Adult Health Nursing 7Th Edition Cooper Test Bank Online PDF All Chapter
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Chapter 11: Care of the Patient with an Endocrine Disorder
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The nurse explains that the negative feedback system controls hormone release by
communication between:
a. the pituitary and the target organ.
b. the thymus and the blood stream.
c. lymphatic system and the target organ.
d. central nervous system and the blood stream.
ANS: A
The amount of hormone released is controlled by a negative feedback system. When the level
of the particular hormone is appropriate, the target organ signals the pituitary to stop the
stimulation of the target organ.
2. Which diagnostic test for diabetes mellitus provides a measure of glucose levels for the
previous 8 to 12 weeks?
a. Fasting blood sugar (FBS)
b. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGT)
c. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
d. Postprandial glucose test (PPBG)
ANS: C
Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)—This blood test measures the amount of glucose that has
become incorporated into the hemoglobin within an erythrocyte. Because glycosylation occurs
constantly during the 120-day life span of the erythrocyte, this test reveals the effectiveness of
diabetes therapy for the preceding 8 to 12 weeks.
3. Which test will furnish immediate feedback for a newly diagnosed diabetic who is not yet
under control?
a. Fasting blood sugar (FBS)
b. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HgbA1c)
c. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
d. Clinitest
ANS: A
Diabetics should do a fingerstick blood glucose level test before each meal and at bedtime
each day until their disease is under control. The HgbA1c serum test reveals the effectiveness
of diabetes therapy for the preceding 8 to 12 weeks.
5. The patient is a 20-year-old college student who has type 1 diabetes and normally walks each
evening as part of an exercise regimen. The patient plans to enroll in a swimming class.
Which adjustment should be made based on this information?
a. Time the morning insulin injection so that the peak action will occur during
swimming class.
b. Delete normal walks on swimming class days.
c. Delay the meal before the swimming class until the session is over.
d. Monitor glucose level before, during, and after swimming to determine the need
for alterations in food or insulin.
ANS: D
Exercise can reduce insulin resistance and increase glucose uptake for as long as 72 hours, as
well as reducing blood pressure and lipid levels. However, exercise can carry some risks for
patients with diabetes, including hypoglycemia.
7. A patient has returned to his room after a thyroidectomy with signs of thyroid crisis. During
thyroid crisis, exaggerated hyperthyroid manifestations may lead to the development of the
potentially lethal complication of:
a. severe nausea and vomiting.
b. bradycardia.
c. delirium with restlessness.
d. congestive heart failure.
ANS: D
In thyroid crisis, all the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism are exaggerated. The patient
may develop congestive heart failure and die.
9. What is an appropriate nursing diagnosis for a patient who has recently been diagnosed with
acromegaly?
a. Ineffective coping
b. Activity intolerance
c. Risk for trauma
d. Chronic low self-esteem
ANS: C
Nursing interventions are mainly supportive. The presence of muscle weakness, joint pain, or
stiffness warrants assessment of the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).
10. The purpose of the use of radioactive iodine in the treatment of hyperthyroidism is to:
a. stimulate the thyroid gland.
b. depress the pituitary.
c. destroy some of the thyroid tissue.
d. alter the stimulus from the pituitary.
ANS: C
Radioactive iodine 131 destroys some of the hyperactive thyroid gland to produce a more
normally functioning gland.
11. Which precaution(s) should the nurse take when caring for a patient who is being treated with
radioactive iodine 131 (RAIU)?
a. Initiate radioactive safety precautions
b. Avoid assigning any young woman to the patient
c. Wait three days after dose before assigning a pregnant nurse to care for this patient
d. Advise visitors to sit at least 10 feet away from the patient
ANS: C
The dose is patient specific and at a very low level. No radioactive safety precautions are
necessary and pregnant nurses can be assigned 3 days after the dose. RAIU is not harmful to
nonpregnant women.
12. Why would a patient with hyperthyroidism be prescribed the drug methimazole (Tapa-zole)?
a. To limit the effect of the pituitary on the thyroid
b. To destroy part of the hyperactive thyroid tissue
c. To stimulate the pineal gland
d. To block the production of thyroid hormones
ANS: D
Medical management for hyperthyroidism may include administration of drugs that block the
production of thyroid hormones, such as propylthiouracil or methimazole.
13. What is the postoperative position for a person who has had a thyroidectomy?
a. Prone
b. Semi-Fowler
c. Side-lying
d. Supine
ANS: B
Postoperative management of this patient includes keeping the bed in a semi-Fowler position,
with pillows supporting the head and shoulders. There should be a suction apparatus and
tracheotomy tray available for emergency use.
14. What extra equipment should the nurse provide at the bedside of a new postoperative
thyroidectomy patient?
a. Large bandage scissors
b. Tracheotomy tray
c. Ventilator
d. Water-sealed drainage system
ANS: B
There should be a suction apparatus and tracheotomy tray available for emergency use.
15. As the nurse is shaving a patient who is 2 days postoperative from a thyroidectomy, the
patient has a spasm of the facial muscles. What should the nurse recognize this as?
a. Chvostek sign
b. Montgomery sign
c. Trousseau sign
d. Homans sign
ANS: A
The spasm of facial muscles when stimulated is the Chvostek sign, an indication of
hypocalcemic tetany.
16. The human insulin whose onset of action occurs within ____ minutes is lispro (Humalog).
a. 30
b. 60
c. 15
d. 45
ANS: C
Humalog begins to take effect in less than half the time of regular, fast-acting insulin. The
new formula can be injected 15 minutes before a meal.
17. What should the nurse caution a type I diabetic about excessive exercise?
a. It can increase the need for insulin and may result in hyperglycemia.
b. It can decrease the need for insulin and may result in hypoglycemia.
c. It can increase muscle bulk and may result in malabsorption of insulin.
d. It can decrease metabolic demand and may result in metabolic acidosis.
ANS: B
The patient with diabetes should exercise regularly. Exercise can reduce insulin resistance and
increase glucose uptake for as long as 72 hours, as well as reducing blood pressure and lipid
levels. However, exercise can carry some risks for patients with diabetes, including
hypoglycemia.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Page 530 OBJ: 11
TOP: Diabetes mellitus KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
18. What do the Chvostek sign and the Trousseau sign indicate?
a. Low levels of serum calcium
b. High levels of blood sugar
c. Low levels of serum sodium
d. High levels of serum aldosterone
ANS: A
Low levels of blood calcium may cause the Chvostek sign and Trousseau sign.
19. A patient has undergone tests that indicate a deficiency of the parathyroid hormone secretion.
She should be informed of which potential complication?
a. Osteoporosis
b. Lethargy
c. Laryngeal spasms
d. Kidney stones
ANS: C
Decreased parathyroid hormone levels in the blood stream cause a decreased calcium level.
Severe hypocalcemia may result in laryngeal spasm, stridor, cyanosis, and increased
possibility of asphyxia.
20. The nurse caring for a 75-year-old man who has developed diabetes insipidus following a
head injury will include in the plan of care provisions for:
a. limiting fluids to 1500 mL a day.
b. encouraging physical exercise.
c. protecting patient from injury.
d. discouraging daytime naps.
ANS: C
The patients need protection from injury because they are often exhausted from sleep
deprivation and having to get up frequently at night. Fluids should not be limited and their
energy should be preserved.
21. The physician orders an 1800-calorie diabetic diet and 40 units of (Humulin N) insulin U-100
subcutaneously daily for a patient with diabetes mellitus. Why would a mid-afternoon snack
of milk and crackers be given?
a. To improve nutrition
b. To improve carbohydrate metabolism
c. To prevent an insulin reaction
d. To prevent diabetic coma
ANS: C
Humulin N insulin starts to peak in 4 hours. The nurse should be alert for signs of
hypoglycemia (a less-than-normal amount of glucose in the blood, usually caused by
administration of too much insulin, excessive secretion of insulin by the islet cells of the
pancreas, or dietary deficiency) at the peak of action of whatever type of insulin the patient is
taking.
22. The nurse teaching a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus (IDDM) about early signs of
insulin reaction would include information about:
a. abdominal pain and nausea.
b. dyspnea and pallor.
c. flushing of the skin and headache.
d. hunger and a trembling sensation.
ANS: D
The patient should be instructed to notify a member of the nursing staff if any signs of
hypoglycemic (low insulin) reaction occur: excessive perspiration or trembling.
23. The nurse discovers the type 1 diabetic (IDDM) patient drowsy and tremulous, the skin is cool
and moist, and the respirations are 32 and shallow. These are signs of:
a. hypoglycemic reaction; give 6 oz of orange juice.
b. hyperglycemic reaction; give ordered regular insulin.
c. hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic reaction; squeeze glucagon gel in buccal
cavity.
d. hypoglycemic reaction; give ordered insulin.
ANS: A
Hypoglycemic reaction is due to not enough food for the insulin. Quick acting
carbohydrates—such as orange juice or longer acting foods such as milk, crackers, and
cheese—are beneficial.
24. A patient has come to the clinic because of enlarged hands and feet, amenorrhea, and
increased hair growth. These symptoms most likely indicate problems with the:
a. pituitary gland.
b. adrenal glands.
c. thyroid gland.
d. pancreas.
ANS: A
The pituitary gland may produce an overabundance of growth hormone. This overproduction
of hormones may cause changes throughout the patient’s body, including enlargement of the
pituitary gland and hands and feet. Female patients may develop a deepened voice, increased
facial hair growth, and amenorrhea.
25. What instructions should a nurse give to a diabetic patient to prevent injury to the feet?
a. Soak feet in warm water every day.
b. Avoid going barefoot and always wear shoes with soles.
c. Use of commercial keratolytic agents to remove corns and calluses are preferred to
cutting off corns and calluses.
d. Use a heating pad to warm feet when they feel cool to the touch.
ANS: B
Sturdy, properly fitting shoes should be worn. Use of corn removers and heating pads is not
beneficial to preserve the health of a diabetic’s feet.
26. The physician prescribes glyburide (Micronase, DiaBeta, Glynase) for a patient, age 57, when
diet and exercise have not been able to control type 2 diabetes. What should the nurse include
in the teaching plan about this medication?
a. It is a substitute for insulin and acts by directly stimulating glucose uptake into the
cell.
b. It does not cause the hypoglycemic reactions that may occur with insulin use.
c. It is thought to stimulate insulin production and increase sensitivity to insulin at
receptor sites.
d. It lowers blood sugar by inhibiting glucagon release from the liver, preventing
gluconeogenesis.
ANS: C
Oral hypoglycemics are compounds that stimulate the beta cells in the pancreas to increase
insulin release.
27. A 27-year-old patient with hypothyroidism is referred to the dietitian for dietary consultation.
What should nutritional interventions include?
a. Frequent small meals high in carbohydrates
b. Calorie-restricted meals
c. Caffeine-rich beverages
d. Fluid restrictions
ANS: B
A high-protein, high-fiber, lower calorie diet is given.
28. What instructions should be included in the discharge instructions for a 47-year-old patient
with hypothyroidism?
a. Taking medication whenever symptoms cause discomfort
b. Decreasing fluid and fiber intake
c. Consuming foods rich in iron
d. Seeing the physician regularly for follow-up care
ANS: D
Regular checkups are essential, because drug dosage may have to be adjusted from time to
time.
30. A patient with a history of Graves disease is admitted to the unit with shortness of breath. The
nurse notes the patient’s vital signs: T 103° F, P 160, R 24, BP 160/80. The nurse also notes
distended neck veins. What does the patient most likely have?
a. Pulmonary embolism
b. Hypertensive crisis
c. Thyroid storm
d. Cushing crisis
ANS: C
In a thyroid crisis, all the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism are exaggerated.
Additionally, the patient may develop nausea, vomiting, severe tachycardia, severe
hypertension, and occasionally hyperthermia up to 41° C (106° F). Extreme restlessness,
cardiac arrhythmia, and delirium may also occur. The patient may develop heart failure and
may die.
32. What information should be obtained from the patient before an iodine-131 test?
a. Presence of metal in the body
b. Allergy to sulfa drugs
c. Status of possible pregnancy
d. Use of prescription drugs for hypertension
ANS: C
Iodine-131 is not a radiation hazard to the nonpregnant patient but is absolutely
contraindicated during pregnancy. Pregnant nurses should not care for this patient for several
days.
33. The patient being treated for hypothyroidism should be instructed to eat well-balanced meals
including intake of iodine. Which of the following foods contains iodine?
a. Eggs
b. Pork
c. White bread
d. Skinless chicken
ANS: A
The hypothyroid diet should be adequate in intake of iodine, in foods such as saltwater fish,
milk, and eggs; fluids should be increased to help prevent constipation.
34. The nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving calcium gluconate for treatment of
hypoparathyroid tetany. Which assessment would indicate an adverse reaction to the drug?
a. Increase in heart rate
b. Flushing of face and neck
c. Drop in blood pressure
d. Urticaria
ANS: C
Indications of an adverse effect of calcium gluconate are dyspnea, bradycardia, and
hypotension.
35. The nurse cautions the patient who is being instructed on self-medication with insulin to be
aware that there are 25-, 30-, 50-, and 100-unit syringes. How is the 100-unit syringe marked?
a. 1-unit increments
b. 2-unitt increments
c. 4-unit increments
d. 5-unit increments
ANS: B
The 100-unit syringe is marked in 2-unit increments while the smaller syringes are marked in
1-unit increments.
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
36. Which of the following are signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia? (Select all that apply.)
a. Irritability
b. Dry mouth
c. Tremors
d. Diaphoresis
e. Fruity breath
f. Deep respirations
ANS: A, C, D
Hypoglycemic reaction: rapid shallow respirations, irritability, tremors, excessive
perspiration, and possibly loss of consciousness.
38. The adrenal cortex secretes glucocorticoids. The most important is cortisol. What is it
involved in? (Select all that apply.)
a. Glucose metabolism
b. Releasing androgens and estrogens
c. Providing extra reserve energy during stress
d. Decreasing the level of potassium in the blood stream
e. Increasing retention of sodium in the blood stream
ANS: A, C
Cortisol is involved in glucose metabolism and provides extra reserve energy in times of
stress.
39. What should the nurse include in provisions for the postoperative care of the patient who had
a thyroidectomy? (Select all that apply.)
a. Assessing ability to speak by asking him or her to recite name and address every
hour
b. Maintaining anatomic position of the head when moving a patient
c. Assisting a patient to hyperextend the head to assess for muscle damage
d. Doing voice check every 2 hours
e. Turning, coughing every hour
f. Checking for bleeding at the sides and the back of the head
ANS: B, D, F
The nurse should hold the head in an anatomic position when moving the patient to prevent
tension on the suture line, do a voice check every 2 to 4 hours by asking the patient to say
“ah”; the patient is not turned nor is coughing recommended immediately after a
thyroidectomy.
40. The nurse would instruct a patient with hyperthyroidism (Graves disease) to select which of
the following nutritious foods because of the increased metabolism related to the disease.
(Select all that apply.)
a. Coffee with cream
b. Lean meat
c. White bread
d. Leafy green vegetables
e. Supplemental vitamin D
ANS: B, D, E
Nutritious food sources, such as food high in protein (e.g., lean meat), sources of vitamin B
(e.g., leafy green vegetables), and vitamin D supplements are helpful to meet the metabolic
needs of the patient with hyperthyroidism.
41. The nurse would instruct a patient who is hypocalcemic from hypoparathyroidism about a diet
that should include (select all that apply):
a. High phosphorus foods
b. Canned fish with the bones
c. Cucumbers
d. Tofu
e. Bananas
f. Vitamin D supplements
ANS: B, C, D, F
The hypocalcemic patient should eat a high-calcium, low-phosphorus diet that includes
canned fish, cucumbers, tofu, and vitamin D supplements as an aid to the absorption of the
calcium.
COMPLETION
42. The nurse is administering long-acting insulin once a day, which provides insulin coverage for
24 hours. This insulin is _________________.
ANS:
Lantus
ANS:
diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
diabetic ketoacidosis
DKA
Hyperglycemic reaction—the body eliminates the excess glucose by the kidneys releasing it
in the urine. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) (acidosis accompanied by an accumulation of
ketones in the blood), formerly called diabetic coma, may develop and the patient could die.
DKA is a severe metabolic disturbance caused by an acute insulin deficiency, decreased
peripheral glucose use, and increased fat mobilization and ketogenesis.
ANS:
regular
ANS:
hypopituitary dwarfism
46. ________________is the term that describes a condition of normal thyroid function.
ANS:
Euthyroid
Euthyroid is the term that describes a condition of normal thyroid function.
47. When the nurse inflates the sphygmomanometer cuff exceeding the systolic blood pressure
and observes a carpal spasm, this is a(n) __________ ____________.
ANS:
Trousseau sign
Trousseau sign is a carpal spasm brought on by pressure of a cuff. This is an indicator for
hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia.
OTHER
48. Arrange the steps of the negative feedback system in the control of blood glucose in
chronologic order. (Separate letters by a comma and space as follows: A, B, C, D):
ANS:
E, A, D, B, C
After the intake of food the blood glucose increases, which stimulates the beta cells of the
pancreas to excrete insulin. Insulin decreases the blood glucose and the negative feedback
system represses the beta cells of the pancreas.
49. Arrange the steps of drawing up a short-acting and a long-acting insulin in the same syringe.
(Separate letters by a comma and space as follows: A, B, C, D)
When drawing up two different types of insulin, the two vials are prepared by cleansing the
tops, air is injected in the longer-acting insulin, air is injected into the short-acting insulin,
and the required dose is drawn up. Set the vial of short-acting insulin out of reach to prevent
accidental reuse. Handing the plunger securely, insert the needle in the long-acting insulin and
withdraw the dose very carefully. Check the dose with a licensed nurse before administering.
The Lord water the ground where lie buried the heroes of
Irâc
Upon the dusty plain and beneath the sandy mounds!
[198]
[199] This is almost the only mention made of Aly during Abu
Bekr’s Caliphate, excepting when he gives advice in the Caliph’s
Council, marries a new wife, or purchases some attractive bond-
maid. In such a self-indulgent life, he was becoming portly and
inactive.
[200] I.e. of the Muhâjerîn or Ansâr; that is, the Coreish, on the
one hand, and the natives of Medîna on the other.
[201] The following is an outline of the narrative, as given by
the Arab historians. On Shahrîrân’s death, after the battle of
Babylon (summer of a.d. 634), Dokht Zenân, daughter of
Chosroes (Perwîz), for a brief period, and then Sapor, son of
Shahrîrân, occupied the throne. The latter gave the hand of
Azarmîdokht, another daughter of Chosroes, to his favourite
minister Furrukhzâd. But she resented the alliance; and, at her
call, the hero Siâwaksh slew the intended husband on the
marriage night, besieged the palace, and, putting Sapor to death,
proclaimed Azarmîdokht queen. Such was the state of things
when Mothanna, in August, went to Medîna. During his absence,
Burân, another daughter of Chosroes, having great influence with
the nobles, summoned the warrior Rustem from Khorasan to
avenge the death of his father, Furrukhzâd, which he did most
effectually—defeating the royal troops, killing Siâwaksh, and
putting out Azarmîdokht’s eyes; and then he set Burân upon the
throne. Her regency (such was the ordinance) should continue
ten years, in default of any prince being discovered of the royal
blood; after which, the male line being proved extinct, the dynasty
would be confirmed in the female line. Burân then appointed
Rustem her minister, with supreme powers, and the nobles rallied
round him. This was just before Abu Obeid’s appearance on the
stage.
The chronology, however, is utterly confused and uncertain.
This Burân is said to have opposed Shîra (Siroes) for a year; and,
when he finally succumbed to have retained her authority as
arbiter (àdil) in the State. She is also said to have sent gifts to
Mahomet, &c. But so much we may assume as certain that
between Perwîz (a.d. 628) and Yezdegird there was an interval of
four and a half years. See Weil’s Chalifen, vol. i. p. 64, and Tabari,
vol. ii. p. 178.
[202] The Persian campaign begins now to assume greater
consistency and detail; but, partly from alteration of the river beds,
and partly from the sites of towns, &c., being no longer known, it
is not always easy to follow the course of the campaign.
Namârick, the scene of Abu Obeid’s first victory, was on the
Bâdacla, or western branch of the Euphrates. Jabân was there
taken prisoner; but the captors, not recognising his rank,
ransomed him in exchange for two skilled artisans. Mothanna,
discovering his quality, would have put him to death for the
deception, but Abu Obeid stood by the ransom. ‘The faithful are
one body,’ he said, ‘and quarter given by any one of them must be
sustained by all; it would be perfidy to put him to death.’ He was
therefore let go; but being again laid hold of after the battle of the
Bridge, was then executed. The second engagement took place
at the royal date-preserve of Sakatia, near Kaskar (subsequently
the site of Wâsit). Abu Obeid, hearing that Jalenûs was on his
way with supports, hurried on and gave battle to Narsa before he
came up. Expeditions were then sent to Barôsama and the
country around.
[203] Called also Dzú Hâjib.
[204] It was twelve cubits long and eight broad.
[205] The common tradition is that Ibn Salûba, Chief of Hîra
(as a kind of neutral), constructed the bridge for both sides. The
account given by Belâdzori is more probable, that it was a
standing bridge belonging to Hîra, as it would be chiefly for its
use. The Moslems crossed at Marwaha, near Babylon. The action
must therefore have been fought on the banks of the main river,
and not on the western channel.
[206] Dates now begin to be given, but the chronology is still
very doubtful. One authority places the battle forty days after that
of Wacûsa on the Yermûk—that is to say, seven or eight weeks
after Abu Bekr’s death. But in the interval between that event and
the present battle, there took place Abu Obeid’s protracted march,
the battle of Namârick and the expeditions following it, the
gathering of Jabân’s army and its march, all which must have
occupied at the least two months, and probably a good deal
more.
[207] A marvellous vision was seen by the wife of Abu Obeid.
A man descended out of heaven, having a pitcher in his hand, out
of which he gave drink first to her husband, and then, one after
another, to several warriors of his tribe. She told Abu Obeid, who
answered that he wished it might be a token of impending
martyrdom to him and them. He then appointed each of the
warriors, in turn, whom she had named, to succeed him if he fell;
and so it turned out. Abu Obeid cut at the lip of the elephant,
being told (erroneously) that it was the part where a mortal blow
could most easily be struck.
[208] The same clan as Abu Obeid’s.
[209] The depth is as much as fifteen feet, and it runs at the
rate of one and a half to three knots an hour. (Rich’s Travels.) The
banks, however, are not so high, nor is the current so rapid, as of
the Tigris.
[210] The remarkable fact of a Christian chief, Abu Zobeid, of
the Beni Tay, being, not only on the Moslem side, but taking so
prominent and brave a part in the defence of the broken force, is
noticed both by Ibn Athîr and Belâdzori. We shall see how largely
Mothanna was indebted to Christian help in the next decisive
battle.
[211] Firuzân was the name of the insurgent. But, with the
exception that the nobles sacrificed the empire to intrigue and
jealousies, we are much in the dark as to the inner history of
Persia at this time. There were two parties, we are told, the
Persians proper, or the national faction, which supported Firuzân;
and the other nationalities, Rustem. But they soon coalesced.
[212] See above, pp. 128, 129.
[213] Sura, viii. v. 14.
[214] The names of the tribes now flocking to the war are,
many of them familiar to the reader of the Prophet’s life; as the
Beni Hantzala, Khátham, Abd al Cays, Dhabha. The Beni Azd
were 700 strong, under Arfaja.
These levies are represented as the response to the present
summons of Omar, now made afresh after the battle of the
Bridge; but erroneously so, for they reached Mothanna at once,
and fought under his banner within a month of that disaster. It
took some time for the fresh levies to gather, as we shall see.
[215] The history of this contingent is interesting. Mahomet
had promised Jarîr that he should have a commission to gather
the scattered members of the Beni Bajîla into a fighting column.
Jarîr followed Khâlid into Irâc, and then returned to Medîna,
where he found Abu Bekr sick, or too much occupied to attend to
his claim. But after his death, Omar, in fulfilment of the Prophet’s
promise, gave him letters to the various governors to search out
everywhere those who, before Islam, belonged to the Bajîla tribe,
and still desired to be associated with it. A great rendezvous of
these was accordingly made, at a spot between the Hejâz and
Irâc, whither, yielding to the persuasion of Omar, they now bent
their steps. There was rivalry between Jarîr and Arfaja as to the
command of this tribe; but the levy had some grudge against
Arfaja, who therefore left them and took the command of his own
tribe, the Beni Azd. Arfaja is also said, by another tradition, to
have led the Beni Bajîla into Syria; but that (if true) must have
been a different body of men, and at a different time.
[216] The tradition runs: ‘Among those who joined Mothanna
was Anis ibn Hilâl, with an immense following of the Beni Namr
(Christians); for they said, We shall surely fight on the side of our
own people.’
[217] Rustem and the insurgent Firuzân had come to a
compromise, and agreed, we are told, to a division of power.
[218] Mehrân is called Hamadâny, because he was a native of
that province. He is said, as on the former occasion, to have
given Mothanna the option of crossing by the bridge.
The channel was the Bâdacla, which is here described as a
spill canal to pass off the surplus waters of the Euphrates when in
flood, into the Jowf or sea of Najaf—the same as the western
branch of the river taken off (as already described) by the cut at
Museyib, above Babylon. Boweib was not far from Hîra, the
inhabitants of which must have been in much excitement during
this and other great battles in the vicinity, on which their
alternating fate depended.
[219] ‘Mothanna was an example,’ we are told, ‘in word and
deed. The people trusted and obeyed him both in what they liked
and what they disliked’—a noble, single-minded commander,
whose repeated supersession had no effect upon his loyalty and
zeal.
[220] ‘I brought the army,’ Mothanna said, ‘to an evil pass by
getting before the enemy and closing the bridge upon him; but the
Lord graciously warded off the danger. Beware, therefore, of
following my example, for verily it was a grievous lapse. It
becometh us not to bar the escape of those who have nothing to
fall back upon.’ It will be observed that the compunction was not
at all for any unnecessary bloodshed among the helpless enemy
(an idea altogether foreign to the thoughts of a Moslem crusader),
but of gratuitous loss and risk to the Moslems. It may have added
to Mothanna’s grief that in repelling this last charge he lost his
brother. The slain are put at 100,000. ‘Years after, even in the
time of the civil wars, you could not walk across the plain without
stumbling on the bones strewed all around.’
[221] The horse and spoil of Mehrân were awarded to the
column in which this youth was fighting. Jarîr and another had a
quarrel over them. Had the youth been a Mussulman, no doubt he
would have obtained the whole as a prize.
[222] His own tribe, the Beni Bekr ibn Wâil.
[223] Amr went on with supplies to Hîra, where the rest of the
families were in hiding. The female defenders of their camp
remind one of Layard’s description of a similar occasion on which
the women of an Arab encampment rushed out to repel an attack,
armed with tent-poles and pitchforks. (Nineveh and Babylon, p.
168.)
[224] It would unnecessarily weary the reader to detail these
raids at any length. Some of them were against other and hostile
branches of the very Christian tribes that had fought at the Bridge
and at Boweib on the Moslem side; some were to obtain supplies
for the army, which was reduced at one time to great extremities
for food; but most were for the double purpose of striking terror
into the people, and at the same time gaining plunder. On one
occasion the Beni Bekr ransomed a great company of prisoners