Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1935

Letter ID: 1273

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

February 27, 1935

I discussed the matter with V [the “poisoned” patient]. He agrees to give up taking the seeds – if you wish it. He says that the seeds have done him a lot of good – cured his obstinate constipation and resistant piles. Besides, he doesn’t notice any bad effect. Well?

At any rate he had better diminish the quantity and not increase it – and not advise others to take. Of course, he must not stop it abruptly. As for the cure, it means that his bowels have become dependent on this artificial action – that is all.

We gave D.R.R. some Bismuth and Magnesium Carbonate for the pains in his bowels. It is indicated as treatment.

Bismuth constipates. Enema of guimauve and tisane (decoctions) of guimauve or linseed would be better.

Are you interested in seeing our monthly work? We can send you the reports of the cases tomorrow.

Yes.

Khagananda is a Bengali Ananda who exhibits these yogic tricks, and is still on this earth. The other fellow you speak of was a Madrasi and is dead and gone – by Potas. Cyanide.

We are at a loss about Mithridates. The experts know only of one – a Persian king. Is he the one you allude to? But he had nothing to do with swallowing poisons.

The information of the experts is defective. Mithridates in order to guard himself against all possibility of poisoning immunised himself by training his system to take all poisons first by small then by increasing doses. He did it so well that when the Romans were after him in their genial manner and he had no choice but death at their hands or his own, he could not take recourse to poison and had to end himself by a vulgar perforation with steel – at least I think it was steel. He was not a Persian king, though he was of Indo-Persian extraction as his name shows. I believe he was king of Armenia or Bithynia or some such obsolete place in Asia Minor.

I proposed to R to get my bureau painted in my spacious bathroom, as he has no other place. He is willing if you will it.

Yes – but on condition he does not spoil the floor.