156 THIRTY- FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



committed her to me in a most miserable state, nearly 

 naked, and fettered like a wild beast ; now she was dressed 

 in a white gown, and looking quite genteel. Without 

 having been invited to sit down, she took her seat modestly 

 between the Sherishtedars, or clerks, and behaved with 

 great decorum. The people looked first at one another, and 

 then at the woman, as if, though conscious of her identity, 

 they could scarcely credit the evidence of their own senses. 

 Even Major Mac Gregor was astonished, and asked me what 

 I had done to make her behave so well ? My answer was, 

 "by cleanlinesSj some physic, douche-baths, decent dress, 

 good food, amusements, occupation, presents, promises, &c., 

 &c. ; all this, connected with good treatment, scarcely ever 

 fails to bring back such poor creatures to a state of reason. 

 I never beat them, never ill-treat them, but I prevent them 

 from doing any mischief to others or to themselves." This 

 reply highly pleased the -Major. The woman in question 

 was about forty years of age, and when she was committed 

 to my care, she was so furious that every one feared her. 

 She was jumping about, beating all whom she met, and 

 would have flung stones and other projectiles at any one 

 near her, if she had not been prevented ; but her fury soon 

 subsided, she became as quiet as she had formerly been 

 boisterous, and was scarcely able to walk. On an examina- 

 tion, I found her suffering from the syphilitic disease. I 

 asked her how long she had had that disorder ; she answered, 

 a long time. Probably she had a lu{:s occulta, which might 

 have been the cause of her mental complaint, only when the 

 lues broke out again she got rid of the disorder. I regret 

 having neglected that opportunity of trying what effect 

 syphilitic inoculation might have produced. This woman 

 gave me a curious relation of what had occurred to her, 

 and which she stated to have been the primitive cause of 

 her madness, She told me that she had sometime since 

 spent all she was worth on the occasion of the marriage of 

 her only son, but no sooner had the bride arrived than 

 she discovered her to be an hermaphrodite. She made her 

 complaint to the kardar ( magistrate ) of the village without 



