to have been first used for ornament, but to cure or prevent the ophthalmia tarsi, and it is one of the best remedies I know for it.

Again, females, after they attain a certain age, or get married, use an application to stain their teeth black. This, I also believe, was, and is, used to destroy the tartar, and preserve the teeth and gums, which it certainly does. The time of life at which they first begin to use it, is when tartar collects most, and were it used solely for ornament, the young would all have their teeth black, which none of them ever have. This application is called "Miscee," and what it is composed of, I cannot say ;-whatever it is, it destroys the tartar, hardens the gums, and makes the teeth of a jet black, without destroying the enamel.

The next custom I shall notice, is their chewing pawn, in the leaf of which is enclosed a small quantity of betle nut, cardamon seeds, a clove, some gum: Rub: Astring and a small portion of lime. The poorer people use it without spices. This is universally chewed both by men and women, and is offered to all strangers, as a compliment. It is a fine aromatic, acts as a stimulus to the fauces and stomach, and sweetens the breath. It causes the saliva to flow, and reddens the mouth, giving it an appearance not pleasing to Euro

peans.

Another custom is their sitting always on the ground with their knees up to their chins, which I know not how to account for, unless it is that in this position there are very few muscles in action, and the pendulous parts of the body are then, as it were, hung upon ligaments, in the same manner as a soldier "stands at ease," by suspending the weight of the trunk on the ligaments of the thigh and hip. Europeans in India cannot sit long with ease, without using a morah, (a kind of stool to put their legs on ;) if they have not got that, they put their legs on the table, and it is not uncommon to see a whole party after dinner with their legs on the table. A restless uneasiness, occasioned by languid circulation, in the feet and legs, causes this, which I attribute to the heat of the climate causing great exhaustion, and relaxation; for Europeans after having resided long in India, do not feel the same inclination on their return to their native country.

Tattooing and Shampooing, (that is, using percussion and pressure,) have also the effect of assisting the languid circulation, and the relief experienced from it after fatigue, can only be judged of by those who have experienced it. Smoking is another custom in general throughout India, and I firmly believe, is of salutary effect, particularly if not indulged in to excess, or poisoned by the introduction of intoxicating ingredients. Smoking pure tobacco acts as a gentle stimulus to the intestines, and causes regular evacuations; without the use of which, recourse to medicines would be often found necessary. I can vouch from experience that the first pipe of a morning always causes a desire to go to stool, and such as are in the habit of smoking, and are deprived of it any morning, seldom have an inclination to visit Cloacina's temple that day, and are generally troubled with head-aches in consequence.

The last of their salutary customs that I shall notice, is their daily

habit of bathing in cold water, and washing out their mouths after every thing they swallow; a custom much to be commended in every country, particularly in a hot one, where animal and vegetable matter soon becomes putrid under any circumstance. I shall here digress a little, and remark that Europeans too often accustom themselves to wash their feet many times a-day, in hot water. Although pleasing at the time, and apparently of trifling consequence, it is, I am convinced, a serious evil, by increasing the secretions which were before too copious, and if persevered in for a length of time, will add considerably to other unwholesome practices, which together with the heat of the climate, will soon wear out an English constitution, and bring on premature old age.

I shall now give an account of a few of the diseases of India as they affect the natives, and their method of curing them. Silk winders, who are people employed to wind off the silk from the coocoons, (chiefly women,) from being constantly in a sitting position, and from their relaxed habits, are subject to a prolapsus of the anus, to obviate which, they use a plug. (or pessary,) every time they have an evacuation; which they make of the clayey sort of earth that surrounds the tanks. Hundreds of those plugs may be seen close to the edges of the water near every silk factory, of a conical figure. A new one is made every time those places are visited.

Elephantiasis. (The Black Leprosy, or as some call it, Falling Leprosy, by the natives called Judham,) is not general throughout India, but rather local-at all events it is much more prevalent in some parts than others, attacking people of particular habits; and whether it is hereditary as some think, or not, is, in my opinion very doubtful, for although it attacks the son whose father had it, it should be remembered that the son always follows the same business that his father did, and as this disease attacks chiefly such people as have their feet and hands frequently in cold water or earth, (such as the peasants in the low marshy countries of Bengal and Orissa,) I conclude that this, together with poorness of living, is the first cause. I am induced to think so from the circumstance of its attacking chiefly Dobys, (washermen.) and Mollies, (gardeners,) in the upper provinces of India, and I conceive that cold and poorness of blood cause the circulation in the extreme capillary vessels to become too languid; the consequence is, a gradual decay or depopulation of those parts, for they have much the appearance of persons who lose their fingers and toes from having been frost-bitten, with this difference, that it does not proceed so rapid, and also, that after a joint has fallen off, it heals again, and remains well for some months, when it breaks out afresh. Thus it continues until all the intercarpal and sometimes carpal joints are destroyed, when in many instances, it heals altogether, and they often live to a tolerable good age, without ever experiencing any return, which I think indicates that it does not proceed from any bumour in the constitution, but that it is solely owing to a defect of the circulation in the extreme vessels. It should also be observed, that having lost both the use of their hands and feet, they cannot follow their occupations, but become mendicants. I have had several natives with this complaint under my care, and I have tried a

variety of medicines without experiencing much good from them. A native doctor told me of a specific, and I gave it to a (Doby) servant of mine labouring under the complaint; he took it for some time, and it appeared to arrest its progress, but unfortunately I was obliged to quit India before I could ascertain if it would entirely remove it. The specific consisted of pills made with arsenic, bread, and black pepper, proportions of each I do not recollect, having lost all memoranda on the subject. I have noticed this, deeming it worthy of a further trial by any medical gentleman who may have an opportunity.

Since writing the above I recollect having seen a paper on the same subject in one of your Journals, and I have just been looking at it, and find that in many points my description agrees with Mr. Robinson's, and in others not. As it is my intention to give you my own obsertions unsophisticated, without reference to, or borrowing a single idea from others, I shall make no alteration in this, and only add the following remarks on Mr. Robinson's paper.-I am clearly of opinion that it is a distinct disease from common leprosy, and ought not to be classed with it, or considered as Leprous. The latter I consider to be a disease entirely of the skin. The Mudar Mr. R. speaks of I believe is called by the natives of India Midaur, from Midaun a plant, it being a shrub that is to be found on all the uncultivated plains of India, the milky juice of which is the only part that I have ever known used, and that externally for herpetic complaints; however, for ought I know, it may be a good medicine, internally-for I verily believe there are a variety of simples in India possessing virtues unknown to the natives, and far many more whose virtues they are acquainted with, the Europeans know nothing of, although the plants may be familiar to them. Even this Mudar may not be the plant I take it to be.

The next disease that I shall notice is called by the natives Boss, which is a chronical enlargement of the spleen, and prevails throughout Indostan, but is most common in the Jungles and hilly parts (as Ramjhur.) It attacks almost every Indian residing there who is not a native of the hills, (but comes from the low countries,) and sometimes it attacks the native inhabitants. In most instances it follows intermittent fevers, and the spleen often becomes enormously large. In such cases I have never found it to give way to any medicines I used, yet I have seen them considerably reduced by the natives themselves, by using the actual cautery with freedom, and taking half a pint of vinegar every morning. They apply the cautery to the swoln part, and sometimes all over the abdomen, giving them an appearance, like a horse's leg that has been fired for a breaking down, (as the Jockeys term it,) of the large tendon of the leg.

As we have improved in the knowledge of Anatomy of the human body, in operations of Surgery, the knife has gained ground to the total disuse of the actual cautery, an improvement to be highly valued, still I am of opinion that the actual cautery will again get into use, I do not mean generally, God forbid, but for particular cases; such as require contraction, or union of parts, for which I believe we know of nothing equal to it. An idea has often struck me, that it may be applied with wonderful good effect to prevent the descent of ruptures.

Would not a deep impression of the actual cautery over the ring of the abdominal muscles, (through which an intestine has passed,) so contract them, as to prevent the possibility of the guts falling down again? If it would have that effect, it would go far to explode the use of trusses, and be of great benefit to mankind.

Nyctalops, is also very common in India, and when not accompanied with a diseased liver or spleen, may be removed by a few doses of calomel united with some other purgative. I am of opinion that this complaint, as also inflammation of the Eyes, are often caused by eating rice; not that it is owing to any quality in the nourishment produced from the rice, but solely owing the rice not being cleaned from its husks, which are as sharp as needles, and very capable of irritating the coats of the stomach. The Indian sailors are very subject to such complaints, and they often receive the rice with the husks on, it being cheaper to the owners of the ships; and also keeps better in that state; the consequence is, that the poor creatures are obliged to pound off the husks, almost every time they prepare their meals, and often they are not half cleaned.

Naukera, (a kind of Ozona,) is another very common complaint in India. It is an inflammation of the membrana pituitaria, seldom attended with such discharge as is common in England. If neglected, it becomes a complete Ozona, or foul stinking ulcer. The natives prevent it, by introducing a sharp-edged grass, and scratching the membrane, which being in state of inflammation, bleeds copiously and soon relieves them.

Hydrocele, is also common in India.-A Mr. Glass, Surgeon of Bauglepore, has given an account of natives being often cured of it, The native doctors cure it by being employed to beat indigo oats. with a poultice made with the pounded leaves of the indigo plant, and crude Sal Ammoniac. They also apply tobacco leaves to the Scrotum, (which they also do for the hernia humoralis,) and sometimes perform the operation for a radical cure by incision.

For local swellings of the joints or other parts, and also for partial paralytic affections, they use a caustic application, which I have found very efficacious. It is made and applied in the following manner-equal quantities of quick lime and crude Sal Ammoniac are incorporated together, and then put into a cloth bag and quilted, and then sprinkled slightly with water, and applied to the swollen part: it causes considerable heat and pain, and when it becomes very violent it should be removed, and repeated as often as thought necessary, taking care not to keep it on so long as to cause blistering or sloughing. Since my return from India I applied it to a horse that had his knee swoln to twice its natural size; it remained on a whole night, during which time the animal seemed to suffer great pain from his incessant restlessness, and to my astonishment in the morning, the knee was reduced to its natural size, and the horse never after went lame. In swellings of the knee joint in men, from a want of absorption of the Synovia, it is a very powerful medicament, and I conceive well worthy a trial by the profession in this country.

The effect pressure has on the human body from wearing tight apparel, may in some measure be judged of, from the effect it has on

our feet from tight shoes, the Indians who never wear tight shoes, use their feet as second hands.-Deformity also is of very rare occurrence in India, and may be accounted for on the same principle -that of never checking nature by any thing tight on their body.

I began with observing that the customs of the natives of India ought to be attended to by Europeans, and I shall leave off, with this observation, that they did follow them in many instances on their first settling there, which they have now foolishly left off. One in particular I shall mention, and that is-their dressing with cool and light apparel, during the hot weather. When I first arrived in India, a broad-cloth coat was scarcely ever seen in the hot months, except on formal visits. At that time the Governor-General, Earl Cornwallis, always set a good example at his own table, by taking off his coat at dinner time, which was generally followed by all the company. When I left India in 1809, broad-cloth coats were worn at dinner in the hot months by almost all the European inhabitants; which I conceive was owing to the examples set them by the heads of the settlement. Also throughout the army, they were worn at all times. In this etiquette and fashion have prevailed over good sense in not adopting that which contributed both to comfort and health, and I hope if properly noticed as adding considerably to the many other causes in that hot climate tending to impair European constitutions, that the heads of Government will take it into consideration, and be induced to set an example to the contrary; and also that when discipline and duty do not absolutely require it, commanding officers will do the same, and not oblige officers and men to wear warm clothes at those times, when they are panting with heat, and perspiring at every pore, to the great injury of their constitution, and eventually of the Government by whom they are employed.

TORRINGTON, DEVON, Jan. 1821.

D. JOHNSON.

MEDITERRANEAN.

General observations on the Climate.

SEC. I.-When we cast an eye along the beautiful shores of this great inland ocean, and survey the classic scenes which present themselves at every step-when we recollect that in peace or in war, the British flag, commercial or belligerent, waves in every port, and off every promontory, from the pillars of Hercules to the shores of the Hellespont, we cannot but acknowledge that the medical topography -the Endemic-and the contagious diseases of this quarter of the globe are not less interesting to Britons than those of either the