VOL. LXXIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 551 



manner. A portion of alum, nitre, vermillion, and quicksilver, are placed in 

 the bottom of an earthen pot, with a smaller one inverted put over the materials, 

 and well luted to the bottom of the larger pot. Over the small one, and within 

 the large one, the fuel is placed, and the fire continued for about 40 minutes. 

 A certain quantity of fuel, carefully weighed out, is what regulates them with 

 respect to the degree of heat, as they cannot see the materials during the opera- 

 tion. When the vessel is cool, the small inverted pot is taken off, and the ma- 

 terials collected for use. I attended the whole of the process, and examined the 

 materials afterwards. The quicksilver had been acted on by the other ingredients, 

 deprived of its metallic form, and rendered a safe and efficacious remedy. 



A knowledge of chemistry has taught us a more certain method of rendering 

 this valuable medicine active and efficacious; yet we find this preparation an- 

 swering every good purpose, and by their guarded manner of exhibiting it per- 

 fectly safe. This powder is the basis of their pill, and often used in external ap- 

 plication. The whole, when intimately mixed, formed a reddish powder, and 

 was made into the form of pills by the addition of a plumb or date. Two or 3 

 pills taken twice a day generally bring on, about the 4th or 5th day, a spitting, 

 which is encouraged by continuing the use of the pills for a day or 2 longer. As 

 the salivation advances, they put a stick across the patient's mouth, in the form 

 of a gag, and make it fast behind. This they say is done to promote the spitting, 

 and prevent the loss of their teeth. They keep up the salivation for 10 or 12 

 days, during which time the patient is nourished with congee and other liquids. 

 Part of this powder is often used externally by diffusing it in warm water, and 

 washing sores and buboes. They disperse buboes frequently by poultices of 

 turnip tops, in which they always put vermillion, and sometimes musk. Nitre, 

 as a cooler, is very much used internally by them in this disease, and they strictly 

 enjoin warmth and confinement during the slightest mercurial course. Buboes 

 advanced to suppuration are opened by a lancet, with a large incision, which they 

 do not allow to close before the hardness and tumor are gone. In short, I found 

 very little room for improving their practice in this disease. I introduced the 

 method of killing, quicksilver with honey, gave them an opportunity of seeing it 

 done, and had the satisfaction of finding it successfully used by themselves before 

 we left the country. 



This happy climate presents us with but little variety in their diseases. Coughs, 

 colds, and rheumatism, are more frequent here than in Bengal. Fevers gene- 

 rally arise here from a temporary cause, are easily removed, and seldom prove 

 fatal. The liver disease is occasionally to be met with, and complaints in the 

 bowels are not unfrequent ; but the grossness of their food, and uncleanliness of 

 their persons, would in any other climate be the source of constant disease and 

 sickness. They are ignorant, as we were not many years ago, of the proper 



