Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/703

656 return to Calcutta and perform the rites of penances for the absolution of her dear father's sins according to the Sastras at an expense of nearly 800 rupees. But this was of no avail. By the second week of June, he had suddenly a pain in his side regions. Nothing could relieve him of the pain. He then came back to Calcutta in company with his grandson, Jatis Chandra. Here he placed himself for a few days under Electro-Homeopathic treatment, which also failed to give him relief. He now resolved to give up opium, which he had been eating for some time past in medicinal doses for his Dysentery. He said,—'Opium requires the drinking of milk; but milk I cannot digest, and therefore I have given it up. Without milk, opium is injurious; it rather brings on costiveness. I should like to take such medicines, as would help me to give up the habit without discomfort.' His Allopathic medical attendants, Babus Hira Lal Ghosh and Amulya Charan Basu, were afraid of danger in his giving up the opium all at once. But some others were of different opinion, and Abdul Latif, a Mussulman Hakim, was called in, who gave the required medicines. When he had taken these medicines for two days, his illness grew worse. The pain aggravated; drowsiness came on; hiccup made its appearance. Every one was now alarmed. Nearly a month passed in this state. By the end of the second week of July, Messrs Birch and M'Connel, two renowned European medical