34 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



stamina to stand against it, and a few hours 

 often sees them dead. This woman utterly 

 declined to stay in hospital, and came home 

 again in spite of the long drive, so we are 

 anxious about the result. Last week the 

 head kangany had an attack of pneumonia, 

 we found him (in spite of feeling desperately 

 ill) rolled up in his blanket in a corner of 

 the cocoa store. My son asked him what 

 he meant by running such a risk and not 

 taking care of himself. 



" But I must do my work, and see that 

 everything is going all right," he replied. 

 However, Rob ordered another man to carry 

 him off to his home, and before many hours 

 had passed he was in high fever and delirium. 

 If it had not been for Rob and the Appu 

 attending to him themselves, applying mustard 

 poultices, and so forth, whilst waiting for the 

 doctor's arrival, he could not have recovered. 



When a cooly is seriously ill the superin- 

 tendent in charge of the Estate sends a printed 

 form to the district medical officer, giving 

 a few particulars, and his own diagnosis, also 

 mentioning whether the case is in his opinion 

 urgent. The doctor then, if he thinks it 

 necessary, comes out as soon as he can, but 

 there is often considerable delay, and this is 

 quite unavoidable. When the district is an 

 extensive one, the medical officer may be 



