﻿I58 CURE OF THE ELEPHANTIASIS. 



Of this dreadful complaint, however caused, the 

 first symptoms are a numbness and redruss of rhe 

 whole body, and principally of the face, an im^ec'ed 

 hoarse voice, thin hair and even baldness, off sive 

 perspiration and breath, and whitlows on the nails. 

 The cure is best begun with copious bleeding, and 

 cooling drink, such as a decoction of the niJufer, or 

 JSymphea, and of violets, with some doses of manna: 

 after which stronger cathartics must be administered. 

 But no remedy has proved so efficacious as the pills 

 composed of arsenic and pepper : one instance of 

 their effect may here be mentioned, and many more 

 may be added, if required. 



In the month of February in the year just mentioned, 

 one Shaikh Ramazam, who then was an upper-servant 

 to the Board of Revenue, had so corrupt a mass of 

 blood, that a black leprosy of his joints was approach- 

 ing ; and most of his limbs began to be ulcerated. 

 In this condition he applied to the writer, and re- 

 quested immediate assistance. Though the disor- 

 dered state of his blood was evident on inspection, and 

 required no particular declaration of it, yet many 

 questions were put to him ; and it was clear, from his 

 answers, that he had a confirmed juzam : he then 

 lost a great deal of blood, and, after due preparation, 

 took the arsenic-pills. After the first week his ma- 

 lady seemed alleviated ; in the second it was consi- 

 derably diminished ; and, in the third, so entirely 

 removed, that the patient went into the bath of 

 health, as a token that he no longer needed a phy- 

 sician. 



