Dai
Dai
This section has been extracted from THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
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A midwife, usually a Mahomedan or a Hindu of the Chama'r caste. Among Hindus of all other castes there is a strong prejudice against cutting the navel cord, and a common term of abuse applied to a midwife is nal'kilta or cord-cutter. The male relatives of these women are usually tailors or musicians; while in villages they often work as weavers, and sometimes seli betel-leaves. "In Dacca," says Dr. Wise, who had special opportunities for learning the truth on this subject, "the midwives are invariably ignorant and generally consequential, while, being few in number, they are very independent, extorting money in proportion to the anxieties of their patients. A mid wife forms an important part of a household, and no family of note is without one. Like the Purohit and barber, the Daf is a privileged person, and has freedom of access to the female apartments at any hour. Her post is usually hereditary, but, if childless, the Daf adopts a young woman and educates her in the mysteries of the profession. Mahomedan ladies have no objec¬ tion to be attended by a Hindu or Ohristian woman, but one of their own creed is preferred. The poorer classes attend on each other, and only in cases of difficulty is the European doctor, or the professional accoucheuse, called in. Parturition is in most instances easy, and the poor have seldom any need of skilled attendance; but among the listless inmates of zananas, who never lead a healthy or invigorating life, labour is often tedious and exhausting.
" Wh~n a woman, either Hindu or Mahomedan, approaches the term of her pregnancy, an outhouse, or detached room, is prepared for her, to which, when labour begins, she retll'es with the Dal and a servant. This den, to which the highest as well as the lowest is condemned, is known as the Asaucha-gha1', or Chhatht-ghar. The duty of the midwife is to rub and roll about the patient so as to in crease the pains, and when the child is born to cut the cord with a piece of bamboo (tarla-ka-chhalti), and to give immediate warning for the' Azan,' or call to prayers.
" Of the meohanism of parturition, of the dangers to be avoided and provided against, midwives are profoundly ignorant; a woman being satisfied if she is attended by the family Dai, or by the pupil of the Dal, who aided her mother or sister under similar circum¬stances. Being obliged to observo many custOIDs, without the due performance of whioh her own and her child's life would be endangered, the IDother resigns herself to the hands of the midwife, assured that all will go weH. To cause the uterus to contract they use an embrocation of the juice of the Nag-daune. leaf (Al'timisia
'1;ulg(ll'is) with spirit. When it is wished to stay tho flow of milk, the (hied bark of the Panl-kudu (Guclll'bita) mixed with pease-meal (El'vum ltirsutum) and rubbed up in water is used as a plaster.
" The midwife is expected to pay frequent visits until all danger has pas ed ; but should the lady he rich, she is not allowed to leave the house for days. It devolves on her to anoint the infant daily, for in India babies are not bathed daily. Lampblaok must be smeared along the eyelashes, and a mash of warm aromatics (ghuHI) given daily. For two days after birth the mother is only allowed to take turmeric, molasses, and infusion of aj wain, while on the third and up to the fortieth day she may eat pulse (masur) and rice.
"After the birth of a child many strange rites are performed. A bonfire (alawa) is kept smouldering at the door of the Ohha~hl¬ghar for six days in the hot, for twenty-one in the cold season, and an oil lamp, placed within the room, must never be permitted to go out, an attendant being 91wa.ys on the watoh to trim it, as darkness favours the entrance of evil spirits. A horse-shoe is placed beneath the bedding, as iron is most distasteful to all kinds of devils; and an earthen vessel, on which the name of God is written, is hung over the door. No one can leave the room before midday, and on no
. account must the baby's clothes be washed or dried anywhere but inside the room. If the husband or doctor has to visit the mother, his clothes are fumigated with the smoke of mustard seed thrown on the fire, and when the visitor leave any food, milk, or drinking water standing in the room must be flung away. For six days the Hindu mother is oonfined in this den, her Muhammadan sister remaining for ten.
"On the sixth or Ohha~hl day the barber and washerman are sent for; the former cutting the hair and paring the nails of the infant, the latter taking away the puerperal garments. It is from performing this menial work that the Dhoba belongs to a very unclean class.
"On the twenty-first or ikklsl doy the barber and wasberman again attend, when similar duties are discharged.
" On the fortieth day after the birth of a boy impurity ceases, as among the Jews, but several rites must be first of all performed. There is the "Kua-JM,nkna," or peeping into the well, which is identical with the worsbip of SubMchani among Hindus, after which the mother resumes her household duties.
" If a child be stillborn, the mother is given an infusion of bamboo leaves in which a copper coin has been soaked. The draught is believed to decompose the poison which caused the death of the child. Should a woman give birth to several stillborn children in succession, the popular belief is that the same child reappears on each occasion, when, to frustrate the designs of the evil spirit that has taken possession of the ohild, the nose, or a portion of an ear, is cut off, and the body is cast away on a dunghill.
" DaiS have many secret remedie which they puff with unblush¬ing assurance. Several are innocuous, a few useful, but in all cases they consist of so many and such heterogeneous substances that theIr action must be extremely doubtful. Their favourite remedy is called Masturi, or Battisa, from its being composed of thirty-two ingre¬dients. Among other things it contains syrup, galls, litharge, sandal-wood, rock salt, and gokltru (T1'ibuZU8 lanuginosus), and is applied on balls of cotton soaked in Champa oil in all disoases peculiar to women."
This word is often counfounded with the Sanskrit "Dhai," a wet nurse. In Eastern Bengal, Dhai is a midwife, the "dudh-pilai" being a wet nurse.
Midwives are generally Muhammadans, but if Hindus they belong to the Chamar caste. No respectable Hindu will cut the navel-cord, and a common term of abuse applied to a midwife is "Nar-Kata," or one who cuts the cord.
The male relatives of these women are usually tailors or musicians; while in villages they often work as weavers. There is always great jealousy between them and the barbers and professional musicians, as, though equally degraded, each claims a superiority over the other.
In Dacca the midwives are invariably ignorant and generally consequential, while, being few in number, they are very independent, extorting money in proportion to the anxieties of their patients. A midwife forms an important part of a household, and no family of note is without one. Lake the Purohit and barber, the Dai is a privileged person, and has freedom of access to the female apartments at any hour. Her post is usually hereditary, but, if childless, the Dai adopts a young woman and educates her in the mysteries of the profession. Muhammadan ladies have no objection to be attended by a Hindu or Christian woman, but one of their own creed is preferred.
The poorer classes attend on each other, and only in cases of difficulty is the European doctor, or the professional accoucheuse, called in. Parturition is in most instances easy, and the poor have seldom any need of skilled attendance; but among the listless inmates of Zananas, who never lead a healthy or invigorating life, labour is often tedious and exhausting.
When a woman, either Hindu or Muhammadan, approaches the term of her pregnancy, an outhouse, or detached room, is prepared for her to which, when labour begins, she retires with the Dai and a servant. This den, to which the highest, as well as the lowest, is condemned, is known as the Asaucha-ghar, or Chhathi-ghar. The duty of the midwife is to rub and roll about the patient so as to increase the pains, and when the child is born to cut the cord with a piece of bamboo (tarla-ka-chhalti), and to give immediate warning for the "Azan," or call to prayers.
Of the mechanism of parturition, of the dangers to be avoided and provided against, mid wives are profoundly ignorant; a woman being satisfied if she is attended by the family Dai, or by the pupil of the Dai, who aided her mother, or sister, under similar circumstances. Being obliged to observe many customs, without the due performance of which her own, and her child's life, would be endangered, the mother resigns herself to the hands of the midwife assured that all will go well.
The midwife is expected to pay frequent visits until all danger has passed; but should the lady be rich, she is not allowed to leave the house for days. It devolves on her to anoint the infant daily, for in India babies are never bathed. Lampblack must be smeared along the eyelashes, and a mash of warm aromatics (ghutti) given daily. For two days after birth the mother is only allowed to take turmeric, molasses, and infusion of Ajwain, while on the third, and up to the fortieth day, she may eat pulse (masur) and rice.
After the birth of a child many strange rites are performed. A bonfire (alawa) is kept smouldering at the door of the Chhathi-ghar for six days in the hot, for twenty-one in the cold, season, and an oil lamp, placed within the room, must never be permitted to go out, an attendant being always on the watch to trim it, as darkness favours the entrance of evil spirits. A horse-shoe is placed beneath the bedding, as iron is most distasteful to all kinds of devils; and an earthen vessel, on which the name of God is written, is hung over the door. No one can leave the room before midday, and on no account must the baby's clothes be washed, or dried, anywhere but inside the room.
If the husband, or doctor, has to visit the mother his clothes are fumigated with the smoke of mustard seed thrown on the fire, and when the visitor leaves, any food, milk, or drinking water, standing in the room must be flung away. For six days the Hindu mother is confined in this den, her Mumammadan sister remaining for ten.
The evil spirit, "Umm-us-sibiyan," literally the mother of children, is chiefly feared by the Mussulmans, being believed to cause convulsions, for the cure of which the "Ojha," or wizard, is summoned, and should recovery ensue he is credited with effecting it. Up to the age of eighteen months this terrible demon has to be kept at bay, after which she is considered to be powerless.
On the sixth, or Chhathi day, the barber and washerman are sent for; the former cutting the hair, and paring the nails, of the infant; the latter taking away the puerperal garments. It is from performing this menial work that the Dhobi belongs to a very unclean class.
On the twenty-first, or ikkisi day, the barber and washerman again attend, when similar duties are discharged.
On the fortieth day after the birth of a boy, impurity ceases, as among the Jews, but several rites must be first of all performed. There is the "Kua-Jhankna," or peeping into the well, which is identical with the worship of Subhachani among Hindus, after which the mother resumes her household duties.
If a child be stillborn the mother is given an infusion of Bamboo leaves in which a copper coin has been soaked. The draught is believed to decompose the poison which caused the death of the child. Should a woman give birth to several stillborn children in succession, the popular belief is, that the same child reappears on each occasion, when, to frustrate the designs of the evil spirit that has taken possession of the child, the nose, or a portion of an ear, is cut off, and the body is cast away on a dunghill.
Dais have many secret remedies which they puff with unblushing assurance. Several are innocuous, a few useful, but in all cases they consist of so many and such heterogeneous substances that their action must be extremely doubtful. Their favorite remedy is called Masturi, or Battisa, from its being composed of thirty two ingredients. Among other things it contains syrup, galls, litharge, sandal-wood, rock salt, and gokhru (Tribulus lanuginosus), and is applied on balls of cotton soaked in Champa oil in all diseases peculiar to women.
