Page:A History of Hindu Chemistry Vol 1.djvu/139

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down. The affected part, if free from pain, should be rubbed with a little cowdung and earth. The leeches should then be taken hold of and smeared with a mixture of turmeric and mustard reduced to a paste with water. They should then be placed for a while in a cup of water, till they are relieved of their weariness and afterwards applied to the diseased part. When being applied, their mouths should be left open and their bodies covered with fine white wet rags.

also anointments ought to be made around the place with paste that they may not touch the healthy place: also as often as leeches are applied, put over them a fine soaked cloth.

If they do not bite, a drop of milk or blood should be applied to, or a small incision may be made on the diseased part. If even by these means a leech cannot be applied, it should be changed for another.

A leech is known to have fixed itself to the part when it raises its shoulder and bends its head like a horse-shoe. When fixed it should be covered

If a leech does not stick let the place be anointed with milk or with blood: if it still refuses to bite, let another be applied in the place of it: