NO. 61. — 1908.] SUMPTUARY LAWS OF THE KANDYANS 121 



They are as careful of- their paddy and rice as they 

 are of their gold, silver, and money. No more than tour 

 hundu (equal to a quart) is cooked at a time for a family 

 consisting of four persons. Half a coconut is used for a 

 meal, unless the household is large, when a whole nut may 

 be used. If a single guest comes after a meal is prepared, it 

 is usual to make him share in what is already prepared, 

 without anything being added. But a larger quantity of 

 food is prepared if the guests are more in number. No 

 more than a handful of rice is given to a beggar, though there 

 may be any amount of rice and paddy in the house, When 

 a Rodiyd (outcast) approaches the house for the purpose of 

 begging, never anything more than a laha (measure varying 

 from three to four quarts) of paddy is given ; and when 

 some one comes to collect for a religious ceremony, nothing 

 more than one hunduwa of paddy, half a hunduwa of rice, 

 and a cent or two is given. 



If one of the household is unwell, a member of the family 

 goes to a native physician with about a gonna (twenty 

 or so) of betel leaves, as it is thought inauspicious to go 

 empty-handed and tell him of the sickness. The messenger 

 is given some medicine free of charge, which he takes home 

 to be given to the patient. Even if the patient is cured, 

 sometimes the doctor is not remunerated. In the case of 

 serious illness, the physician is bound to visit the patient 

 and administer medicines. If a decoction or a churna 

 (powder of pulverized drugs) is to be made, most of the 

 ingredients are got from the neighbours. Only those ingre- 

 dients that cannot be obtained in this way are bought from 

 the kada (boutiques). Not even in most serious cases does 

 the doctor demand a fee. Of course he does not refuse any 

 offered compensation in the shape of money after the recovery 

 of the patient. Very often the physicians get one or two 

 penumkada (pingo load presents*). These consist of different 

 kinds of confectionery and fruit, such as plantains, &c 

 They do not charge a fixed fee as do English doctors. 



* A " pingo load " is as much as a man can carry on his shoulder at 

 either end of a long flexible piece of arecanut wood shaped for the 

 purpose. 



K 20-08 



