Page:A Short History of Aryan Medical Science.djvu/68

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60
PRINCIPLES OF HYGIENE
[Chap. V.

dropping into it a little rape-seed oil every day. This tends to keep the mouth sweet, improves the voice, and prevents the hair turning gray. White antimony applied to the conjunctiva with a lead or zinc pencil, besides making the eyes beautiful, ensures acute vision. Black antimony of the Sindhu mountain can be used even in its unrefined state. It removes the irritation, burning, hypersecretion of mucus and painful lachrymation, renders the eyes beautiful, and enables them to stand the glare and the wind. One who is fatigued, feverish, has kept vigils or taken a meal, should abstain from applying antimony to his eyes. The nails, beard, and hair are to be kept clean and trimmed, and are to be cut every fifth day. This promotes strength, health, cleanliness, and beauty. The hair should be combed; and the looking-glass should be in constant use, as that tends to the improvement of the complexion and the prolongation of life. The hair in the nose- should not be pulled out, as doing so will impair the eyesight. Regular exercise should be taken every day. It makes the body light and active, the limbs strong and well-developed, and the gastral fire increases so much that any kind