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xviii INTRODUCTION. Government in India, which is now at mnch expense, in importing costly medicines, for the use of the troops, &c., an expense which might be almost en- tirely avoided, if the physicians there were ac- quainted with the properties of the native plants and drugs. When I went to Lahore the second time, I was, as before, appointed Physician to the Court, and also Superintendent of the gunpowder-mill and gun- manufactory. The Dar-iil-Shefa ( hospital ) in the city, was under the direction of two brothers, Azeez-oo-Deen and Noor-oo-Deen, both rich faqueers, and the government paid for the medicines which were daily distributed there ; but, although I/nade some experiments on my new system, at my own expense, yet, my opportunities were very limited, as it was not within my province to attend the Dar-ul-Shefa of the faqueers. When the English came, however, they shut up the gun and powder manufactories, and ordered the Durbar to erect a public hospital outside the city. The management of this establishment was entrusted to me, and I then obtained the long-desired opportunity of con- tinuing my experiments, uncontrolled, in the new method of treatment, and on a large scale, until the annexation of the country, in May 1849 ; the results of which surpassed my most sanguine antici- pations. My waiting-room was constantly filled vvith patients, attracted not only by the inviting appear- ance and sweet taste of the medicines ( lozenges ), and the ( to them ) pretty wooden boxes in which they were delivered ; but also, by the efficacy which they found these bonbons to possess. The