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2 ment, the four being derived from the sacred animal of the
3 Brahmins; which, although he knew its disgusting composi-
4 tion, he devoured with great devotional avidity, and which
5 completely effected his restoration to purity in the eyes of his
6 fellow Brahmins.
7 In the hot season, ginger beer is a great favourite in India
8 as a beverage, especially when cooled by immersion in a
9 freezing mixture of ice and saltpetre. It is prepared much
10 in the same manner as in this country. Milk-punch and
11 grog are also extensively used, as well as cooled soda-water
12 (with a small quantity of wine), lemonade, orgeat, &c.
13 These beverages, however, are used mostly by Europeans ;
14 the natives prepare a variety of cooling drinks from almonds,
15 the seeds of melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, &c. ; adding to
16 them arkh-e-goolab , arkh-e-keora and bedemusk , i.e., the dis-
17 tilled waters of roses, sweet scented pandan, and the flowers
18 of the Egyptian willow. They use also a syrup made from
19 the berries of the grewia asiatica ; a vinegar syrup flavoured
20 with mint ; buttermilk ; milk-and-water ; and curdled milk with
21 salt and water ; those who can afford to incur the expense
22 of artificially cooling these beverages, use, when ice cannot be
23 obtained, a mixture of water and saltpetre, agitating in it
24 the vessel containing the liquid to be cooled. It is not
25 always, however, that cold drinks are the most effective for
26 quenching the violent thirst experienced in the hot season ;
27 on the contrary, my own experience teaches me that the
28 more of these which are taken, the more the thirst increases ;
29 whilst a cup of warm tea or coffee with milk, produces
30 a contrary result, and should therefore be used in preference
31 to cold beverages in such cases.
32 Cold baths are much used in India, both by Europeans and
33 natives; but especially by the latter; in fact, it is almost
34 impossible to over-estimate the benefits arising from them. I
35 have myself experienced the restoring influence of cold-bath-
36 ing, and from the commencement of April till the end of
37 August, I refreshed myself with at least two cold douche