1 I w;.s, howler, to a great extent, re);lid for the labour 10
2 which I was thus subjected, i>y being able to make many experi¬
3 ments, and thus practically convince myself of tlu medicinal
4 efficacy of the plants and,drugs of Cashmere, which were those
5 1 principally tried there. I had also the opportunity of intro¬
6 ducing operations which had been hitherto unknown in that
7 country; as for instance, tapping in a case of dropsy, which
8 I performed in the presence of the maharajah and several others,
9 who were completely amazed at the quantity of liquid drawn
10 from the patient.
11 At tlte time I am now writing, the news has just arrived from
12 India, that the Maharajah Gholab Sing is himself suffering
13 from dropsy; and had the arrangements which 1 had made
14 respecting this work permitted, .1 should certainly have returned
15 to India before this, nurl have probably b n able to have
16 rendered him some assistance. I have, however, forwarded t«
17 him (if not too late) some medical advice, and .also instructions
18 for the preparation of medicines which can he procured on the
19 spot, and administered by his own people; for the Hindoos,
20 as I have before mentioned, will not take anything which has
21 been prepared or even touched by a stranger.
22 At the period when I was at Cashmere, the maharajah had
23 W eral English visitors, whom lie treated with the greatest
24 hospitality. Some of them had come from Simla nia Thibet.
25 At that time, and previously, it. was the custom for every
26 European, of whatever nation he might be, who visited the
27 valley of Cashmere, to be received as a guest, .tnd entertained as
28 such, from the instant of lus entering the country to the moment
29 of his departure; even the bill-porters who carried the baggage
30 (for it is impossible to employ animals heavily laden, on account
31 of the badness of the roads in that hilly country) were bv the
32 officials of the maharajah placed at the disposal of the visitors.
33 In a conversation, however, which I had with the maharajah, he
34 complained that many of the servants of the European visitors
35 had abused, the hospitality displayed towards them, for they had
36 frequently taken with them very large quantities of -affron, and