It can also be fairly commended to the student of social science and of humanity, and above all to the student of those early ideas, which have gradually filtered down through the sands of time, and which seem to prove that the human nature of to-day is much the same as the human nature of the long ago.
It has been said of Balzac [the great, if not the greatest of French novelists] that he seemed to have inherited a natural and intuitive perception of the feelings of men and women, and has described them with an analysis worthy of a man of science. The author of the present work must also have had a considerable knowledge of the humanities. Many of his remarks are so full of simplicity and truth, that they have stood the test of time, and stand out still as clear and true as when they were first written, some eighteen hundred years ago.
As a collection of facts, told in plain and simple language, it must be remembered that in those early days there was apparently no idea of embellishing the work, either with a literary style, a flow of language, or a quantity of superfluous padding. The author tells the world what he knows in very concise language, without any attempt to produce an interesting story. From his facts how many novels could be written! Indeed much of the matter contained in parts III. IV. V. and VI., has formed the basis of many of the stories and the tales of past centuries.
There will be found in part VII., some curious recipes. Many of them appear to be as primitive as the book itself, but in later works of the same nature these recipes and prescriptions appear to have increased, both as regards quality and quantity. In the Anunga Runga or "The Stage of Love," mentioned at page 5 of the Preface in Part I., there are found no less than thirty-three different subjects for which one hundred and thirty recipes and prescriptions are given.
As the details may be interesting, these subjects are described as follows:
1. For hastening the paroxysm of the woman.
4. For thickening and enlarging the lingam, rendering it sound and strong, hard and lusty.
5. For narrowing and contracting the yoni.
7. For removing and destroying the hair of the body.
8. For removing the sudden stopping of the monthly ailment.
