250 JO URNAL, BOMB A Y NA TURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. IX. 



to work." Superintendents and Medical Officers of Jails beware ! 

 Udoy Chandra Dutt also notes a similar experience as regards the jail- 

 birds of Bengal. " It is often employed by natives," says he, " espe- 

 cially jail-convicts in India, to produce irritation and fictitious marks of 

 bruises." (Materia Medica of the Hindus, p. 141, 1877.) Such 

 has been my experience in the Thana prison. 



Two cases came under my observation in the Thana Civil Hospital 

 in 1893. In one of these cases, the deliberate application of the 

 resinous fluid on several parts of the body produced violent 

 symptoms ; in the other case, mere pounding of the seeds on a stone 

 was enough to cause irritation of several parts of the body. It would 

 be useful to give briefly the notes of these cases.* They are as 

 follow : — 



1ST Case. — A female, aged 20, married, was sent to the Civil Hos- 

 pital, Thana, by the Chief Constable of Salsette, on 24th April, 1893. 

 A number of black-nut marks were found on both breasts, thighs and 

 genitals. She stated that the marks were made by her husband by 

 way of punishment. The parts mentioned were all swollen on the 

 day" of her admission. On the third day of the application large blis- 

 ters appeared on the painted parts. Under prompt application, first of 

 sweet oil (teel), then of a lotion of acetate of lead and opium, and 

 subsequently of vaseline, the parts recovered, and the patient was dis- 

 charged cured, but not before three weeks. 



2nd Case. — In this the whole face and ears were much swollen, 

 and there were large vesicles on both the forearms, chest and abdomen. 

 The following are brief notes of this case : — The patient is a young 

 Hindu, male, aged 24 ; admitted into the Civil Hospital, Thana, on 

 24th June, 1893. States that he had a swelling on his right forearm, 

 for which he was recommended the external application of the marking- 

 nut. He pounded a few nuts and used the resinous fluid on the 

 affected part. The following day large vesicles appeared on it, as also 

 redness and swelling on the face and ears, though they were not painted 

 over. There was violent itching and much constitutional disturbance. 

 The chest, abdomen, and left forearm were also swollen and red. Pus- 



* The notes of these cases are recorded by my Assistants, Rajanna Lokaji and Madhavrao 

 Shankar Sowani. — K. R. K. 



