369 
years of age, together with a man as a superintendent. The children’s book, 
which accompanies the instruments, contains only an account of six, as the 
eldest, being the son of my gardener, is included in another book. To the 
youngest I gave three-pence per day, and, if tractable and well disposed, an 
additional penny for every additional year. 
The steel instrument was used by the latter, and the others by the former. 
I have great reason to be satisfied with their construction; for, notwithstand¬ 
ing their simplicity, they proved themselves fully equal to my purpose; and 
so considerable a trial has not suggested any other improvement, than that 
in the largest the two inner bars only should be elastic; for the continual 
pressure of the finger and thumb on the two outer ones, which is absolutely 
necessary for the others to act, would be avoided, and consequently some 
fatigue and inconvenience prevented. 
It is of very little consequence whether the first incisions are made hori¬ 
zontally or vertically, with this instrument; for however luxuriantly the milk 
may flow, by making four at one time, it so divides the stream that seldom 
any escapes. With the smaller ones we most commonly made them hori¬ 
zontally, beginning as near the top of the head as possible, and for this rea¬ 
son all the juices, if the first incision was made at the bottom, would be 
naturally attracted by the aperture, and render every other completely fruit¬ 
less, besides occasioning the certain loss of a considerable quantity, by falling 
on the surrounding leaves; whereas, on the other hand, a proportion of milk 
will exude from each, and the Opium be equally distributed over the whole 
surface of the head. 
No particular directions seem necessary for repeating this operation, any 
farther than that each time it should be performed in a contrary direction, 
and continued till no more will exude, at intervals of four or five days or 
more, according to circumstances: for, as the weather proves rainy or fair, 
they will be shorter or longer, the heads being sooner replenished in the one 
than the other. 
Each of the children being provided with a tin cup, having one handle, 
so contrived as to fix itself to a girdle fastened round his waist, with a com¬ 
mon gardening knife they scraped off the Opium that appeared upon the 
heads in a soft ash-coloured substance. Dewy mornings are best calculated 
for this purpose, and it should be discontinued so soon as the sun has gained 
a sufficient power to dissipate it; for, if persevered in throughout the day, 
5 A 
