VALUE OF THE ARISTOLOCHIA INDICA. 143 



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

 extra dose at one 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 pre- 

 scribe. 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 discredit on a remedy which was attracting public notice. In this in- 

 stance 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 ob- 

 served 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 accord- 

 ingly 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 inspira- 

 tion, accompanied with a kind of shriek, manifesting 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-colored 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 be- 

 came fractious for the breast. She accordingly went to bed to give the child suste- 

 nance, 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 



