104 



CURE FOR FEVER. 



Chap. VI. 



ration of wetting them with the hot tea was re- 

 peated. He pinched and drew my skin so hard 

 that I could scarcely refrain from crying out with 

 pain ; and when the operation was completed to 

 his satisfaction, he had left marks which I did not 

 get rid of for several weeks after. 



When the messenger arrived with the medicine, 

 the first thing I was asked to swallow was a large 

 paper of small pills, containing, I suppose, ahout a 

 hundred, or perhaps more. " Am I to take the 

 whole of these ? " I asked, in amazement. " Yes ; 

 and here is a cup of hot tea to wash them down." 

 I hesitated ; then tasted one, which had a hot, pep- 

 pery kind of flavour, and, making up my mind, 

 gulped the whole. In the mean time a teapot had 

 been procured capable of holding about three large 

 breakfast-cups of tea. Into this pot were put six 

 different vegetable productions — about half an 

 ounce of each. These consisted of dried orange 

 or citron peel, pomegranate, charred fruit of Gar- 

 denia radicans, the bark and wood of Rosa Banksi- 

 ana, and two other things unknown to me. The 

 teapot was then filled to the brim with boiling 

 water, and allowed to stand for a few minutes, 

 when the decoction was ready for the patient. I 

 was now desired to drink it cup after cup as fast 

 as possible, and then cover myself over with all 

 the blankets which could be laid hold of. The 

 directions of my physician were obeyed to the 

 letter, but nevertheless I lay for an hour longer 

 ere perspiration broke, when of course I got 



