VALUE OF THE ARISTOLOCHIA INDICA. 143 



of relapse. Her husband informed me that, although quite recovered, she took the extra 

 dose at 1 o'clock in the morning, and became so giddy that in attempting to move she 

 reeled about like a drunken creature. 



A young Hindoo woman was brought to my door in a ' charpoy,' or litter, in a state so 

 apparently lifeless from a Snake-bite, that I had no hesitation in refusing to prescribe. 

 An officer, who was on a visit at my house at the time, considered the woman beyond the 

 power of human relief, and advised me to send her away, as my failure would bring dis- 

 credit on a remedy which was attracting public notice. In this instance the patient was 

 as cold as marble ; there was no pulsation ; countenance death-like. 



The woman's husband manifested great distress at my refusal, at the same time urging 

 that as the remedy had been prepared, I might, at any rate, give his wife the chance of 

 recovery. I explained to him my motives, and my firm belief that his wife was dead 

 long before he had reached my door. However, rather than add to his distress by persisting 

 in my refusal, I forced her jaws open, and poured down her throat three medium-sized 

 leaves of the Aristolochia Indica, reduced to a pulp, with ten black peppercorns, diluted 

 with a graduated ounce of water. The remedy having flowed into her stomach, I directed 

 her body to be raised and supported in a sitting posture, and with some anxiety, though 

 without the slightest prospect of success. 



I attentively watched her features, and in the course of eight or ten minutes I observed 

 a slight pulsation on her under lip. I instantly directed her husband, with the aid of my 

 own servants, to drag her about for the purpose, if possible, of increasing the circulation. 

 Supported by two men, holding her up by the waist and arms, she was moved about, her 

 feet helplessly dragging after her. After the lapse of a few minutes, I perceived an attempt 

 on the part of the patient to use her feet. I accordingly directed them to raise her body 

 sufficiently high to admit of the soles of her feet being placed on a level with the ground. 

 In a few minutes she gave a deep inspiration, accompanied with a kind of shriek, mani- 

 festing the return of consciousness. This was followed by an exclamation, "A fire is 

 consuming my vitals ! " At this time her chest and arms were deadly cold. I immediately 

 gave her the pulp of one leaf in an ounce of water, which greatly alleviated the burning 

 sensation in the stomach. 



She was then enabled to explain the position of the wound on her instep, which had 

 the appearance of a small speck of ink, surrounded by a light-coloured circle. I had the 

 part well rubbed with the Aristolochia, after which she was able to walk without assistance. 

 I kept her walking up and down for at least a couple of hours. Having expressed herself 

 entirely recovered, I allowed her to depart. She called on the following morning to show 

 herself. 



The Snake unfortunately escaped, but the woman described it as a ' Kala Samp,' which 

 is the term ordinarily used for the Kobra Kapelle. 



I have written the above entirely from memory, the case having occurred eight or nine 

 years ago. 



A middle-aged woman was brought to my door in the early part of the rainy season, 

 who had been bitten by a Snake at daybreak, while stooping down for the purpose of 

 sweeping the floor. She called out to the people of the house that a rat had bitten her, 

 and nothing more was thought of it, as her attention was directed to her infant who became 

 fractious for the breast. She accordingly went to bed to give the child sustenance, and 

 not long afterwards complained of giddiness. It was suggested to her that a Snake might 

 have bitten her, but she referred to a hole in the mud-wall from which the rat must have 

 darted out. 



Nothing further transpired until the household were alarmed on finding her in a state 

 of insensibility, foaming at the mouth, and the infant at her breast. They were then 

 convinced that a Snake must have done the mischief, and immediately carried her off to 

 the charmer! After detaining the woman for a full hour, the fellow coolly told her 

 friends to take her off to the Commissioner, who would prescribe for her. The poor woman 

 had been dead for some time before the incantations were finished. On arriving at my 

 house, I found the deceased in a state of incipient decomposition, and, having heard the 

 statement of her friends, directed them to take the body away for the performance of 



