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