484 On the Native Alum or Saldjit of Nepal. (Sept. 
said to be unequalled. Internally it is given as a sovereign remedy 
in parméo (gonorrheea), in gleet, gravel, stone in the bladder, semi- 
nal weakness, and sometimes in alvine fluxes; its dose is (to an adult) 
10 grains finely powdered and given in ghee: it also composes an in- 
gredient in several of the compound medicines administered by the na- 
tive physicians, and is said (possibly with justice) to be an admirable re- 
medy in gravel as well as in diarrhoea. Externally it is chiefly employed 
in powder as a styptic in recent wounds, and, in solution, to bruises and 
sprains, as well as a wash for foul ulcers. In severe cases of falls and bruis- 
es it is internally administered, apparently without any better reason than 
the one stated by themselves, viz. that its being good for a bruised leg 
“ought to make it useful to the internals of a hurt man.” It is much 
prized by old women as a remedy in infantile diseases, such as slight fever, 
diarrhoea and bronchitis—and few faqirs who dispense health to the bo- 
dy are without this mineral. It is exported, from Mepa/ in small quantities 
to almost every part of India, as few traders, from the horse merchant of 
the Panjéb to the Baipari of Tirhoot, leave this without some of the 
drug, and the faqirs, who flock here annually in incredible numbers, distribute 
their small stores to their brethren of the craft at every pilgrimage from 
Jagarnath to Mansurwar, and from Réméswar to Dwarika. This mineral 
is not confined to Nepal ; it is a produce of some part of Behar*, and is said 
to be found in small quantity in different parts of the Vindhya range of 
hills ; although according to the testimony of the Katmandiéi merchants 
“ of inferior value in medicine to that of Nepal.” Its use in the arts of 
calico printing, dyeing, &c. does not seem to have been contemplated even 
in India, where those arts have been so long practised ; and although print- 
ing is done after a rude fashion throughout the valley of Nepal, and the 
mineral is a native of its surrounding hills, I cannot learn that it is ever used 
in the making of mordants, for which purpose the sulphate of alumina is 
above all other salts the best adapted, and for which it is in such large de- 
mand throughout Europe. It remains therefore for European intelligence 
to introduce this mineral into general use, and when it is considered that all 
the alum used in Europe for dyeing, printing, whitening paper, tanning and 
dressing leather, &c. &c. is manufactured by a tedious and expensive pro- 
cess, it will seem strange that a nearly pure native sulphate of alumina 
should be so abundant within a few days’ journey of the river Ganges, and 
not have long ago, attracted the attention of the mercantile community of 
India, or the numberless dyers, printers, and tanners carrying on their 
separate vocations throughout the Gangetic valley. To assist Mr. Sreven- 
Son or any other person in procuring this substance, I offer such aid as be. 
ing on the spot will enable me to give. 
* Dr. HamiTon in his account of Nepal says, “1 have collected Salajit in Behar with 
my own hands,” 
