Nirodbaran's Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo

November 1937

J's eczema looks very well... Should we try Listerine now or see again with the present medicine, for the last time?

[The Mother marked with a vertical line "or see ... time?"]

Yes, it is better.

Jiban is better now. Dr. Becharlal says he can take a cup of cocoa in the morning. He can also take up his work from tomorrow. Jiban wants your sanction.

Surely he can work now. It will do him good.

November 2, 1937

Please look at Jiban well tomorrow; we want to know if his diet can be improved.

On Sunday he seemed almost all right—Diet can be improved.

November 3, 1937

... Shall we give N some solid food? What about Bovril—we have a bottle in stock, or some brandy?

Bovril is better than brandy—

Shall we give Jiban some vegetables or only milk in the morning, to begin with?

Do you think he will be able to digest the milk? He can take vegetables but it would be better if they were simply boiled.

November 4, 1937

In J's case, the powder composed of acid salicylic, alum, pulv. calamine Bismuth carb., starch, talc powder has to be cleaned each time we apply Listerine, or shall we clean it with Listerine itself?

Listerine itself can be used for cleaning.

November 8, 1937

N is taking now: 5 cups of milk, 1 litre barley water, soup, 1 loaf bread, 2 or 3 oranges. Is it sufficient?

It seems to me sufficient.

November 9, 1937

J says there is much burning by Listerine. I apply it 4 times a day. The powder clings to the surface and forms a sort of hard crust...

It may be that you are putting too much Listerine and too much powder at a time. The powder is only to be dusted. Also the composition of the powder may be changed if it is too heavy and sticky. To remove the crusts once a day you may try vaseline or "glycérolé d'amidon".

Had an urgent call from M. He says he had high fever (only 101°!), aching body, etc. Looks like a contagion from Nishikanta.

The best would be to disinfect the house with camphor or sulphur or formol.

November 10, 1937

Camphor or Sulphur is to be burnt like incense powder isn't it?

Yes—

I have asked Sitabala to take enema for some days. Can the hot water sent for bath, be used for enema? It is boiled, I suppose.

This is not quite sure. But you can inquire about it—

November 11, 1937

N's hiccough is much less, but he is getting very weak.

Is he in bed all the time?

For Jiban, shall we begin with one cup of cocoa in the morning?

You can try—

S says every symptom has increased after Sudarshan. He is raising other problems. Wants a stove for hot water, wants his food sent home in the rainy season, etc., etc. To give a stove simply for a small quantity of water is absurd. He can take it from the Dispensary. The servant can bring his evening meal with mine.

This arrangement is all right. No stove needed.

What about the morning meal? He is going on with one thing after another.

It seems to me that he could go without danger to the D.R. for his morning food.

Bula's movements of the right arm are still restricted. I don't think there is any fracture. Shall we see under screen costing Rs. 3, or X-ray costing Rs. 6? Which one? [The Mother marked "screen" with an arrow.]

Yes, this.

November 14, 1937

... For N, shall we call in André who is a T.B. expert? Or wait a few more days?

It may be better to call André—

J asks if she should come to meditation in the rain—as the eczema will be exposed to water.

But how does she do for her bath?

November 15, 1937

J says for the last 6 months she's been taking half bath, i.e. bath up to the thighs with a lot of acrobatic feats. She just sponges the legs... Should we apply Listerine and powder 3 times now instead of 4?

Yes.

November 16, 1937

About N, André says, it may be either pleurisy or some liver abscess. He sees no signs of T.B... N is quite upset because we have called in another doctor. So please advise if anything is to be done.

We will see after examination.

November 17, 1937

N's X-ray tomorrow. How shall we carry him? Rickshaw may be uncomfortable. Will the car be available?

Both cars are under repair.

J is having a lot of itching. I feel that olive oil, almond oil or cocoagem may do her good. Your opinion, please.

You might try almond oil but see that it is quite fresh. It gets rancid very quick.

Now we are applying Listerine thrice a day.

You might reduce it to twice.

Can milk be given to Jiban at night, and curds at noon?

You can try.

November 18, 1937

N s X-ray is done. There is an encysted patch of pleurisy on the right side, and commencement of T.B. over the whole area of both the lungs. André says the condition is bad. He can be shifted to the hospital, but the treatment can also be done at home. André warns that precaution against contagion is to be taken. It seems to Dr. Becharlal and me that the hospital would be better. Here nursing will be very difficult. I wonder how many will offer their services, if they know that it's T.B. I am not sure that N will agree to go to hospital... If you want that he should be kept here, we shall do our best. But if you want him in hospital, the sooner the better.

P.S... Though the case is serious, I have not lost all hope. I believe that if you want to cure him, you can do so, as you said the other day, "by some accident". Our medical treatment for it is next to nil.

[The Mother wrote above "by some accident", within brackets:]

Not accident—miracle.

I am wondering if we should keep him and try to nurse him ourselves. The question of diet too is a little difficult...

It is impossible to make proper arrangements here for diet and nursing nor can we run the risk of contagion in an asram of 150 people. Sending him to the hospital is unavoidable. So the sooner he goes the better. It cannot be left to his choice.

November 19, 1937

Now that N has been sent to the hospital, his room has to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

It must first be disinfected by burning sulphur with all openings closed. Afterwards the furniture will be removed and thoroughly cleaned and the room itself will be whitewashed entirely.

November 20, 1937

N says he may hire a servant just to be by his side.

That can be done—

S says he can't digest the Asram curry at all, and soup and vegetables did him much good.

It is better to give him soup and boiled vegetables.

November 21, 1937

Guru, I dare to disturb you as daring has become a necessity. I feel utterly blank and am in need of some support, I can't write poetry by myself, without your help. Have you stopped the correspondence because of your eye-trouble or for concentration? In either case, then, I don't insist on your seeing my poems. You will understand that I don't write for the sake of writing, but for a support from you. Please give me a line in reply, after which I won't bother you any more.

Apart from the eye-question, I have stopped because there are certain things I have positively to get done before I can take up any regular correspondence work again. If I start again now, I shall probably have to stop again soon for a long long time. Better get things finished now—that's the idea. You must hold on somehow for the present.

November 23, 1937

"O Beauty, write in immortal scroll
The passion of my creative fire."

[Sri Aurobindo:] I am afraid writing fire in a scroll is too difficult an operation—even for Beauty unless she has become entirely surrealistic since I first made her acquaintance.

November 24, 1937

V wants to go to see N in the hospital. Should he?

No.

This old man L.N. has come back worse from home. Don't you think he had better go to Madras and get himself treated there?

That would be the best if he is willing to go—

November 26, 1937

I examined Dayakar today. He has continuous fever. I've asked them to give him' milk and soup. Or can soup be omitted?

No, soup is very good.

November 27, 1937

[The following report was written by Dr. Becharlal.] For a long time, I have been asking Lakshmi to do some work—to start some light work; at least to move about in the Ashram compound, sit for a few minutes in the Reception Room etc.... But I have been told by Champaklal that she has been regularly sitting at the gate at Vithalbhai's duty time and talking. I have asked her today very gently not to sit at the gate...

It is better also that she should not sit in the reception room.

November 28, 1937