And its Applications.

261

Chap. 3.]

and by means of the same kind of instruments as when Alexander oreven ßacclms invaded India . In some of their religious festivals thesyringe is made to perform a prominent part ; for a red powder is mixedwith water, with which the worshipers “ drench one another by meansof a species of squirt; to represent Parasou Rama, or some other heroreturning from battle covered with blood.” Some writers suppose theceremony is designed to celebrate “ the orgies of Krishna with his mis-tresses and companions.” No. 115 represents a rajah and some of hiswives engaged in this singulär species of religious worship and connubialexercise, in honor of Krishna. The instruments are clearly garden syringes,and probably of the same kind as are mentioned by Heron of Alexandria ,as used in his time for sprinkling and dispersing water.

The Hohlee is another Hindoo festival which resembles in some mea-sure the Saturnalia of the Romans. It is observed through all Hindostan,and in celebrating it, the syringe is put in requisition. Mr. Broughton,who, with some other Europeans, visited a Mahratta rajah to witness theceremony, observes—“ A few minutes after we had taken our seats, largebrass trays filled with abeer, and the little balls already described werebrought in and placed before the Company, together with a yellow-colouredwater, and a large silver squirt for each individual. The Muha Raj him-self began the amusements of the day, by sprinkling a little red and yellowwater upon us from the goolabdans, small silver vessels kept for the pur-pose of sprinkling rose-water at visits of ceremony. Every one thenbegan to throw about the abeer, and to squirt at his neighbour as he pleas-ed.” (Shoberl’s Hind. vol. ii, 241, and vol. vi, 14.) A somewhat similarcustom prevails in Pegu. At the feast of waters, the king, nobles, andall the people Sport themselves by throwing water upon one another; and“ it is impossible to pass the Streets without being soundly wet.” (Oving-ton’s Voyage to Surat in the year 1689. Lon. 1696 : page 597.)

The syringe in front of No. 115, is copied from Rivius’ Grerman Trans-lation of Vitruvius, A. D. 1548. It is from a view of the barber’s shopbelonging to the father of Ctesibius . (See pp. 121 and 122 of this volume.)Across the shop is a partition, behind which the young philosopher is seenintently perusing a book, and on the floor around him are a flute, a syringe,a pair of bellows, bagpipes, &c.; while in front, the old gentleman in theEuropean costume of the 16th Century, and with a sword at his side ! isactively engaged in purifying the head and face of a customer.

In the third volume of a Collection of “Emblems, Human and Divine”in Latin : Prague , 1601, page 76, a pair of bellows, a syringe, and a flyingeolipile are represented as forming the device of some old Italian family,with the singulär motto, “ Todo est viento.”

Few ancient devices could be pointed out that have given rise to moreimportant improvements in the arts than the primitive syringe. Its modi-fications exert an extensive and beneficial influence in society. As a pis-ton bellows it is still extensively used in oriental smitheries—and as thesame, it contributed to one of the most refined pleasures of the ancients, bysupplying wind to their Organs. It may be considered as the immediateparent of the forcing if not of the atmospheric pump—in both of whichit has greatly increased the comforts and conveniencies of civilized life ;in the fire-engine it protects both our lives and our property from themost destructive of the elements ; and in the hands of the surgeon andphysician it extends the duration of life by removing disease. The mo-dern philosophical apparatus for exhausting air, and the ancient one forcondensing it; the mammoth blowing machines in our founderies, andthe-steam engine itself, are all modifications of the syringe.