44 Dr Kennedy on the Indian Penance of Gukvugty. 



48^ 34', and the distance 4^46. The increase and subsequent 

 decrease of the distance '' agrees," says Messrs Herschel and 

 South, *' with the idea of a rapid rotation of one star about the 

 other in a plane nearly passing through the eye, the small star 

 being at its greatest elongation about 1802. The inference is 

 an interesting one, as this star seems not unlikely to furnish 

 another example, in addition to those already known, of a side- 

 real occultation, which the difference of colours of the two 

 stars, and the rapidity of their motion, will render a most curi- 

 ous phenomenon. 



14. 4. £ Lyrce, R. A. \d^ ^8'. Decl. N. 39° ^T. 



The stars are unequal, and both white. In 1779.83 the 

 position was 5Q° 5' nf and the distance 3".49- In 1803.83 

 it was 59° 14'. In 1819.69 Struve made it 60° 42', and in 

 1821.02, 64° 18', and the distance 3".76. In 1822.12 Messrs 

 Herschel and South made it 64^ 7', and the distance 4".01. 

 The annual change is here only 0°.19. 



15. I SagiticB, R. A. 19*^ 41'. Decl. N. 18° 43'. 



The stars are very unequal. The lai'ge one is white, and 

 the small one blue. In 1781.88 the position was 34° 10' n p, 

 and distance 8".83. In 1802.45 it was 40° 41'. In 1819.74 

 Struve found it 39° 32'. In 1823.69 Messrs Herschel and 

 South found the position 44° 32' ?i p, and the distance 8".82. 

 ** The discrepancy," says Messrs Herschel and South, " be- 

 tween our measures and that of M. Struve is very extraordi- 

 nary, and is the more to be lamented as these stars form, per- 

 haps, a binary system." 



Art. VIII. — Account of the Indian Penance of Gulwugty, or 

 Churuk Poqja* By R. H. Kennedy, M. D. 



I do not recollect to have seen a description by a medical wri- 

 ter of the Indian penance of Gulwugty, or swinging with the 

 whole weight of the body suspended on a pair of hooks per- 

 forating the integuments of the loins. The process itself is so 



• From the Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta, 

 vol. ii. p. 293-299. 



