follow close after a meal. Physical exercise should be avoided by men suffering from cough, asthma, consumption and hæmorrhage (Bhāvaprakāsha, 4:59). Dirty clothes should never be worn; only two meals should be taken; the first meal being taken between 9 and 12.

Very much fuller detailed directions are found in the Charaka and Sushruta-samhita.

Sushruta-sāṁlitā (Adhyāya, 5) has defined the 'healthy man' as one whose bodily wants arise at regular intervals, the operation of whose bodily elements and the working of whose excretory organs are regular and normal, and whose organs and mind are happy'.

Among daily duties, we have the following laid down in the Charak-sāṁhitā (Sūtrasthāna Adhyāyā, 5):—The teeth and tongue should be cleaned twice daily, morning and evening; the head should be oiled; oil should be dropped into the ear; oil should be rubbed over the body; daily bath followed by the wearing of clean clothes, applying of sandal-paint, wearing of sweet-smelling flowers, the cropping and cleaning of the hair; one should never go out without shoes, umbrella and stick at night; collyrium should be applied to the eyes; smoking twice a day; and in connection with smoking it is interesting to note that the method of smoking was somewhat similar to cigar-smoking; the Kādambari, for instance, speaks of a king as 'paripitadhumavartih'' having smoked the roll; ' and the Charaka-samhita lays down the details of preparing this' roll '; thirty-two sweet-smelling substances were powdered and made into a "roll" as thick as the thumb, and in smoking, fire was lighted at one end of this roll and the other end was put into the mouth. It is gratifiying to find that not one of the thirtytwo substances prescribed is tobacco, opium or any narcotic drug. Smoking has been prohibited for weak and fatigued persons.

In connection with the seasons we are told that, during winter the food taken should be hot and dry. During spring purgatives and emetics are beneficial; heavy food of any kind,

specially butter, should be avoided. During summer the food should be very light, rice being substituted for wheat, and all physical exercise should be avoided. During the rains honey should be taken with food; on days when it is raining hard one must eat acids, salt and butter. During autumn rice mixed with light meat is wholesome; no purgative should be taken during this season; drinking water should be exposed to the sun and to moonlight; one should move about as much as possible in moonlight.

Whenever there is desire for evacuation, for vomitting, for sneezing, for yawning, for food, for water, for sleep, or for breathing (after exercise), it should not be checked. The checking of these is very harmful. What one must check is the force of such things as too much daring, the passions, hasty speech, strong appetites, avarice and fear.

For the preventing of disease it is necessary that one should give up all indiscretions, should keep his organs of sense under proper control; the directions laid down in the scriptures, as also the results of past experience, should be duly noted and borne in mind; one should always take into consideration the peculiarities of time, of place and of his own condition and he should never deviate from the right course of conduct (Charaka-samhita, Adhyāya, 7).

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Food should never be taken before bath; before a sitting down. to dinner or breakfast, one must change his clothes and wash his mouth, hands and feet; the vessels should all be washed and cleaned; so also the place; one should not eat in a crowded place; food cooked overnight is unwholesome (Charaka-sāmhita, Adhyāya, 8). The food should be hot, soft and not very dry, it should be taken in measured quantities; there should be a long interval between two meals; meals should never be hurried; too much water should not be drunk after meals (Charaka-samhitā, Nidanasthana, Adhyāya I).

In regard to drinking water the Charaka-sāmhitä (Nidan....• sthana, Adhyāya, 2) says that stagnant water is always heavier than flowing water; sea-water should never be drunk; one should

never drink water in which there are insects or rotting vegetation; or which smells badly, or water taken from a drying tank or well in which only a little water has been left.

It is in the Sushruta-samhita (Adhyaya, 45) that we find very elaborate directions in connection with drinking water.

For drinking rain-water, collected before it touches the ground, is most highly recommended. But even in rain-water a distinction has been made-one kind has been called Samudra coming from the ocean (by which perhaps it is meant that the rain has fallen from clouds formed by vapours emanating from sea-water); and the other has been called Gang.coming from the Ganga '; the following test has been prescribed: when it is raining place a silver vessel filled with white rice in the rain; after a couple of hours if the water changes colour and acquires some sort of smell, the water should be regarded as coming from the ocean; while if there is no change in the colour of the water and there is no odour of any kind, it should be regarded as "coming from the Gangå ". During the rainy season, rain-water is the best for drinking; during the autumn, all water is equally good; in the winter water from lakes and tanks is recommended, during spring and summer water from wells and springs is considered best. No drinking water should be drawn from a source in which the dead body of an animal has been found, in which leaves, etc., are rotting, in which people bathe, on which the rays of the sun and the moon do not fall, or which is too cold. When however good water is not available, one should either thoroughly boil the water, or should put into it a red-hot ball of iron, before it is used for drinking purposes. For the purpose

of cleaning water of mud and other things held in solution, the putting into it of certain substances has been recommended; a few such substances are-a fruit-seed called, Nirmali, the root of the lotus-plant, water weeds, pearl, and certain other gems.

If the water is not sufficiently cool, it should be fanned or exposed to draught of air, or it should be put in an earthen-jar standing on wet sand. Drinking water from wells or tanks

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or lakes should be drawn in the early morning. But of all water on the earth, river-water is the best; it promotes digestion.

The Sushruta-saṁhitā devotes a chapter (Adhyāya, 20) to air. The air that comes from the east is sweet, saltish and heavy; it produces a burning sensation in the body; promotes bile; interferes with the healing of sores; it is harmful to persons with a phlegmatic temperament. The air coming from the north is sweet, cool and pungent; it is light and healthy; promotes energy and is beneficial to the eye. The air coming from the west is dry and hard; makes the body rough; is enervating; it is unhealthy. The air coming from the south is soft, sweet, pungent, cool and healthy; it promotes energy; it is specially beneficial to consumptives.

The Sushruta-samhita, towards its close, sums up its advice to men as follows:-Bathing is necessary; clothing should be clean; when going out one must carry an umbrella and a stick; one should walk gently in clean places; one should never talk ill of the King, Gods or his elders; one should avoid the company of bad men; one should never climb trees o thills; one should avoid riding wicked horses or elephants; one should never enter an unknown stream; one must avoid places where any epidemic is spreading; one should never check the flow of the excretory organs; if one chances to sneeze or yawn among a large number of men he should always cover up his mouth; one should not expose his chest either to wind or to sun; one should not stare at the sun or the star; when sleeping the head should always be kept on a higher level than the rest of the body; meals should be regular; one should never eat at the house of men or women of bad character, or of such persons as have been dismissed from their posts; one should never eat anything in which hair or fly or insects have fallen; hands and feet should always be washed before food.

From the above it will be seen that the old people of this country knew and practised many laws of health and sanitation which have since been forgotten, with results that all deplore.

It is a mere glimpse of this vast and interesting subject that has been provided in this paper. It is an inviting branch of study, and the present writer has written this paper in the hope that some one more competent to deal with the problems here discussed will be induced to take up the study and give to the world the benefit thereof.