THE USE OP AMULETS IN THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE. 245 



tomentosa). Once over the boundary the bell and other articles are thrown away and all 

 return to the bdthdn, taking care not to look behind them. A black goat is sacrificed, 

 and a public feast given, when the bdthdn is reached. 



Female diseases are believed to be usually caused either by evil spirits or by the evil 

 eye. Hysteria is one of the former class. Exorcism is performed, 



Female Diseases. ... . .. 1lr . .. .. r 



and, when the spirit has left its victim and taken refuge in a mango 

 or banyan tree, the exorcist drives in nails at the four corners of the house to prevent its 

 re-entry. He then goes to the tree after midnight, and, after offering vermilion, pice, 

 aiwd, mustard and flowers, hammers in nails to secure the spirit, which is sometimes 

 represented by some of the woman's hair or by a tortoise. 



Barrenness is caused by the evil eye. The exorcist goes after midnight to cross- 

 roads or a bathing-ghat, and after worshipping with vermilion, arzvd, flowers, and, some- 

 times, an old broom, puts pice into holes in the ground and marks the place with vermi- 

 lion. The curse is transferred to the first woman who passes over it. A mdduh contain- 

 ing the root of small tamarind tree is also attached to the patient's hair. 



Mrta-batsa is similarly transferred by the burial of the body of a still-born child in an 

 earthen vessel at cross-roads ; or a dark woman takes a piece of owl's bone, the flesh of a 

 black pigeon, and some human hair, wraps them in a plantain leaf sprinkled with 

 vermilion and carries them naked at night to cross-roads, and leaves them there. This 

 remedy fails, however, if the articles are touched by a childless widow. When a woman 

 dies in child-birth, her legs are sometimes cut off before cremation and buried separately 

 to ensure that she shall not return to be similarly afflicted, or to annoy others in the form 

 of a Curail. 



To expedite delivery a white onion is tied to the woman's left arm with a black 

 thread, and some of her hair is burned. A geometrical figure is painted on 

 a piece of wood and shown to her. It is then washed off, and the washings 

 are given to her to drink. f\ . 



During labour pains a black stone smeared with oil and vermilion, \y~ 

 which represents Dharmma Thakur, is worshipped on behalf of the woman ^ 



in a temple by a man of low caste, known as a Dharmma Pandit. 



A large number of practices are observed with the object of warding off evil from new- 

 born babes, who are particularly liable to the attacks of malignant spirits. The confine- 

 ment often takes place in a separate hut {dturghar or sutikdgdr) set 

 apart for the purpose, especially in Eastern Bengal. This hut is 

 surrounded by a cordon of thorny cane leaves, pieces of the kanta kumra creeper (Cucur- 

 bitafepo), fragments of fishermen's nets, rice, and white mustard-seed, all of which must be 

 duly consecrated. A bundle of mustard, rice and garlic is sometimes placed on the north 

 side of the hut, and old shoes are put behind it ; whilst a line of cowdung is drawn round the 

 walls. Three parallel lines, representing Ram, Laksman and Sita, are drawn with charcoal 

 on the ground before the entrance, in the belief that no evil spirit will cross them. A pot 

 containing fire is placed at the door of the room and kept burning day and night. No 

 one is permitted to enter the room without touching this fire, and visitors must also wash 

 their feet and dust their clothes. No one may touch the bamboos of the roof and thus 



y 



