February 1938

K's scabies and asthma are almost alt right. Shall we give him some sodium cacodylale injections as tonic'.'

Yes, if there is no "contre-indication".

Perhaps you have noticed that there is still a little swelling in B's leg. Do you want Andre to be called?

We can wait a few days more.

February 1. 1938

What about L? She says she had no motion for 7 days!

February 2. 1938

What do you think of Rushi's cyst? It is not a wart. It is nothing much. 1 suppose it will fall by itself.

February 3, 1938

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. . . L doesn't like enema as it has bad after-effects. [The Mother underlined "as it has bad after-effects".]

What bad effects?

I don't know if habitual laxatives will be good.

Habitual laxatives are harmful and purgatives still worse.

R has difficulty in swallowing. She is another case of constipation. She hasn't got a healthy colour, has she?

Neither good nor very bad.

February 8, 1938

L— The bad effects of enema are weakness, windiness and loss of appetite. Dr. B asked her if she would like to go to Bombay. She is very willing and says she will come back after some time. So shall we ask her to arrange for it?

Yes, certainly.

P has come with a doubtful skin disease—It is better to take him to the hospital and ascertain what it is.

February 9, 1938

Dr. Andre says that P has leucoderma, and it is not contagious. But it's better to examine the blood. . . Could it be done?

Yes —

February 11,1938

K [suffering from asthma] wants to take curds. . .

He might try.

February 12, 1938

We examined Rangachari—his heart seems to be dilated. It is also weak. I understand he has come here with the idea

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of doing Yoga. If we have to bear his responsibility, Andre had better be consulted.

We have no responsibility, he is living outside. But if the case is serious advise him to go to the hospital.

February 14, 1938

J says that she has dandruff and consequently losing her hair badly. She has heard that you have suggested a "Lemon cream" for such cases, to some others. Will it be good for her also ?

I'm sending her a bottle.

February 15, 1938

You have asked Benjamin to take some vegetables. How to give them? Only boiled? They can't be fried, can they?

I suppose he can take fried things, but you might ask Andre about it.

It is pepper and spices he fears, not oil or ghee.

February 18, 1938

For Benjamin, are the vegetables to be fried here? Or we can ask Lakshmi to do it as she too would like to take some.

You might offer him boiled vegetables. We shall see how he likes them.

February 19, 1938

Mother, in the last two Pranams, you seemed to have indicated to me that I have done something wrong somewhere.

[Sri Aurobindo:] Nonsense!

Coming on just before Darshan it is weighing on me. May I know what it is, if anything?

[Sri Aurobindo:] Nothing at all — quite imaginary.

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"Brilliance breaking the night-shell

Like laughter-peels of a ringing bell."

[Sri Aurobindo:] Lord, sir! A bell is not an orange.

February 20, 1938

Should we give Romen treatment for his enlarged liver?

You can start the treatment.

Benjamin has been advised to take raw tomatoes. Can he buy them himself from the bazaar?

The tomatoes can be bought from the Bazaar, but surely Benjamin has no strength to go himself to buy them.

Guru, please have a look at this poem. . .

[Sri Aurobindo:] What the deuce is the meaning of "lineage" here? Lineage means ancestry. And what the greater deuce is "liege"?

February 22, 1938

"The deliverance from the grave —

Earth's crucifixion of the Light

That is bound like passion's galley-slave —

....."

[After Sri Aurobindo's correction on 20.2.38:]

"For thy deliverance from the grave —

Earth's crucifixion of the Light

In the earth-bound, Nature's galley-slave —

You have repeated "earth".

I should have thought it clear that the repetition is intentional. Earth does that crucifixion in the earth-bound — once the earth-binding ceases, the soul is free. Cf. St. Paul, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

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I am much delighted and relieved to find that you have not lost your sense of humour by your Supramental transformation. Sir!

Where the deuce do you get these ideas? From Dilip? The Supra-mental being the absolute of all good things, must equally be the absolute of humour also. Q.E.D.

February 25. 1938

Benjamin doesn't like boiled vegetables. He wants them fried. The other day Dr. Andre took the vegetables home and had them fried for him.

[Mother:] Is it not possible to have them fried in the dispensary?

February 26. 1938

Shall we give a bottle of Li thine to Charupada? Cost? Free ?

[Mother:] It can be given but he will have to pay customs.

I have a mind to try some injections of liver extract on S, if you permit. . .

[ Mother: ] Yes, you can do.

February 27, 1938