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