Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1936

Letter ID: 1515

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

January 5, 1936

I had a look at J’s rashes and eczema with your questionnaire on it. Since our treatment is only symptomatic I wonder if we can try R.

I am not very enthusiastic about this idea. R demands an implicit obedience from his patients which J would not give – and they would certainly clash very soon. There are other reasons also.

When a medicine is a specific, it is scientifically supposed to be active on one particular disease and therefore quite successful; for instance emetine in dysentery and quinine in malaria. But you don’t give your approval even though these medicines are specifics in these particular diseases.

It is not enough for a medicine to be a specific. Certain drugs have other effects or possible effects which can be ignored by the physician who only wants to cure his case, but cannot be in a whole-view of the system and its reactions. The unfavourable reactions of quinine are admitted by medical opinion itself and doctors in Europe have been long searching for a substitute for quinine.

Z complains of vomiting, giddiness etc. I’m afraid these three Punjabi brothers and sister are rather – I mean physically.

Very bad health, all of them. The “stalwart Panjabi” is not much in evidence. One of the type who came could not progress. Another was tall but thin and ill. These –

I send a poem retouched by Nishikanta. Do put a few of your comments against the lines or expressions which are not quite right.

That is beyond me. I can only give my personal impression which amounts to “I like it exceeding well”.