1 hipines—art', figuratively .speaking, always in the water. Their
2 simple and favorite coverage is—not beer, wine or brandy, but
3 sherbet, i.e., water sweetened with raw sugar, and therefore they
4 generally enjoy good health. They wake great use also of
5 gymnasticexercises, in which lnhapi and iiiuH are special favorites
6 when they are fatigued, and assist materially in promoting the
7 circulation; the former may be described as pinching, and the
8 latter is a process of striking with both fists on the body. The
9 natives of India have also a peculiar way of rinsing the mouth
10 and cleansing the teeth, which is generally done when they
11 perform their religious exercises, of which ablution is an essential
12 part. They use for this purpose the twigs or branches of various
13 trees and shrubs; but as each nation uses a different kind of
14 twig, ore., it would occupy too much space to detail the nume¬
15 rous, plants employed; it is sufficient to observe, that they ire
16 generally of an astringent nature, and whilst cleansing and
17 strengthening the gums, have, a beneficial effect on the stomach
18 also.
19 The Sikhs generally employ an hour or two in the operations
20 of too toilet; and before ablution they rub their hair (which in
21 most cases is lung and black) with curds. When the hair has
22 become silvered, by age, they dare not dye it, being strictly
23 forbidden by their religious tenets. The Must , linen, however,
24 are very fond of dying the hair, and for that purpose make use
25 of u great variety of compositions containing oxide of iron,
26 nivrobolans, LawnmUi inermis, Indupfera Anil, &e. They
27 also darken the eyelashes with black sulphurets of lead or
28 antimony.
29 The following are the,recipes lor two of the hair dyes which
30 are principally in request:—Of Laicmnia biennis and Indh/ifcrn
31 Anil, take each two parts, and of dried myrtle leaves and emblic
32 myrobolans, each one part; those are made into powder and mixed
33 with water to the consistency of a soft poultice, which is applied
34 to the hair. 11 is stated that this composition stimulates the growth
35 of the hair, blackens that which is grey, mil prevents its splitting.
36 The second recipe is one which I have myself used in earlier years,