October 16, 1921
When Kamala was convalescent she became a very quiet child. All her previous interests ceased, and she behaved like an idiot. Her mind became vacant as if she were thinking of nothing; and she did nothing, except to roam about in a pensive manner. The whole day long she had no rest. She cried constantly with a peculiar voice, whether by day or night. The first time she uttered her howl after her illness was on the sixteenth of October, 1921. From then on she used to howl and prowl about at night constantly, as if searching for something and trying to get a response to her howling. She was restless, and there were indications of her going back to her old ferocious nature. Watching her movements for some time, I was alarmed that she might get back her old ferocity and consulted Mrs. Singh as to what should be done to bring about some sort of change in her.
October 19 to 25, 1921
We both agreed that the additional massage might do her good. Mrs. Singh at once prolonged the period of massage and watched the result from the nineteenth to the twenty-fifth of October, 1921, as recorded below, and continued it for a month.
Massage
The account of this massage is thus summarized by Bishop H. Pakenham-Walsh:
This massage was skillfully and tenderly done with many endearments from the top of the body down to the bottom, very special attention being given to those parts — the arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, etc. — whose normal human development had been interfered with by the mode of life of the wolves. Mrs. Singh was a skilled masseuse, and always stopped the massage of any part when Kamala seemed to be tired of it. The massage had a wonderful effect in strengthening and loosening Kamala's muscles for human use and in drawing her to trust in, and love her tender foster mother.
Early in the morning at four o'clock Mrs. Singh used to get up and go to Kamala for massage. She took Kamala's head first, and passed her fingers softly and tenderly through her (Kamala's) hair, and then rubbed smoothly with the palms.
When her palms descended just grazing the head down to the forehead, she passed her thumbs gently from the middle to the sides, approaching the ears. She took the ears by the thumbs and the four fingers and gave a mild twist to make the circulation of the blood brisk at those parts. She brought back her thumbs to the middle of the forehead again. Then from the middle of the forehead she went back to the ears with a perpendicular jerk, moving the thumbs with a zigzag motion.
After some time the four fingers, followed by the thumbs in a grazing glide, descended onto the cheeks on both sides. The four fingers followed by the thumbs passed round the cheeks, touching the bridge of the nose and the lower part of the eyes, returning to the ear. This was repeated as long as she thought fit, and as the patient liked it.
Then the hands went back on to the neck, and Kamala was laid flat on her chest, Mrs. Singh put her two thumbs together jointly and gently rubbed down the spine to its extremity.
From there she passed her palms to the abdomen and the sides, coming to the neck by the shoulders, leaving the chest free. From the neck, the four fingers followed by the thumbs went round the chest in two halves, parting at the middle. This was repeated as long as she felt the patient wanted it.
Then the two arms were taken. She passed her hand by the armpit onto the shoulders on top. Then the hands passed by the turn of. the muscle on the arms, coming to the elbows, circled round the elbow joints in a peculiar twist, and passed on to the forearm, grazing down to the wrist. Then the palms were taken. The thumbs passed between the two bones leading to the fingers. After this, the fingers were twisted and twitched. Then the fingers were pulled mildly. The fists were closed, and the hands moved up.
The moment she found out that Kamala did not like it, she changed at once to the other parts.
After the chest, the hands with the spread-out palms descended by the spine to the waist. Encircling the waist, she passed her palms between the thigh joints and brought them out under the buttocks, back to the front on the thigh, descending, grazing just above the knees following the muscles.
At the knees a sharp twist round the kneecap and then the thumbs were pressed rather lightly round the knees, descending to the calves.
From the calves they descended to the ankles. The thumbs went round the ankle-joint bones and then descended round the heels, coming down to the feet, and passed on to the toes.
The toes were twisted in peculiar fashion very gently, and then the toes were pulled several times, This was the process of massage treatment Mrs. Singh followed throughout.
In addition to the massage, she would be talking to Kamala all the time, ceaselessly coaxing in endearments expressed in the most loving tones possible to meet the need of the wild nature of Kamala.
This process of massage with mustard oil produced the desired results.
November 25, 1921
Mrs. Singh's constant attention and attendance, coupled with her massage, acted marvelously. Though it did not come all at once, the desired effect was clearly visible after a month on the twenty-fifth of November, 1921.
Kamala again commenced behaving almost in the same manner as she used to when Amala was alive.
Kamala examining the toys
November 27 and 30, 1921
After the death of Amala, Kamala had been averse to coming to Mrs. Singh, but on the twenty-seventh of November, 1921, she invited Mrs.
Singh's attention. On the thirtieth, when she was lying down at noon and Mrs. Singh approached her bed, Kamala looked at her. Mrs. Singh wanted to sit on the bed, and Kamala quietly moved a little to the other side of the bed to allow her room to sit down. Mrs. Singh placed her hand on Kamala's forehead, and she was quiet and did not show the least sign of unwillingness or dislike at her touch. Kamala caught hold of her hand and placed it on her chest. Mrs. Singh thought that she wanted her to give her a little massage. She at once got some oil and commenced massaging the parts Kamala had indicated. All this showed that she had begun to like it because it gave her some comfort.
We found that this massage not only soothed her, but gave strength to all parts of her body and limbs. She gained strength rapidly.
December 2 to 15, 1921
Kamala commenced coming to the room where Mrs. Singh used to be at the time, and sitting by her at a little distance, but remained attentive to all that was going on in the same room. The babies all round Mrs. Singh saw her, and brought out their toys. If by chance a toy rolled to Kamala, she caught it and tried to examine it, turning it round and round. Red color attracted her more than the rest. It was generally the red-colored toys which she picked out, and she would run away with a toy in her mouth. All this was noticed from the second to the fifteenth of December, 1921.
December 27, 1921
On this day Kamala came straight to Mrs. Singh, who asked her whether she was hungry. Kamala nodded her head to say yes. We were very much delighted to see this and became very hopeful as regards her progress in this way. After this, Kamala allowed Mrs. Singh to sit by her with the prattling babies. In a word, she permitted her company to a great extent. She commenced coming to her and preferred to remain near her with the babies, instead of roaming about in the garden after the fowls, or associating with any other animal in the house. She began accepting foods and drink from Mrs. Singh's hand. She behaved in every way like a baby of one and one-half years.
Chapter XII
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Modification of Limbs
IT has already been pointed out that Kamala's limbs had undergone modification to adapt herself to her environment, from her very babyhood of life with the wolves, the presumption being that she was carried away by the wolves as a baby. Now, these distorted limbs were to be modified so as to adapt her to human life among us. The best treatment, as we have seen, was that of massage. At the time of massaging, great care was taken to straighten the knee joints and the ankle joints by constant light rubbing, twisting with the application of mustard oil, and gentle jerking. The circulation of the blood in those parts was improved. In the same way the muscles in the arms, thighs, and the calves were treated so as to strengthen the nerves gradually.
January 17, 1922
The next treatment after she got strong enough to bear it was taken up from the seventeenth of January, 1922. It was an exercise at the same time. She was made to reach some tempting food by standing on her knees. She never could stand long on her knees. At first, she used just to stand on them to take the thing if she liked it, and instantly come down on her hands and knees. At the beginning, she never used to do even this much, although we tried to get her to do so on several occasions. But now Kamala had become somewhat tame, and was paying more attention to those things which vitally concerned her.
Exercise 1 February 8 and 9, 1922
Once, on the eighth of February, 1922, it was noticed that when Mrs. Singh broke biscuits in parts and presented them to Kamala, in crawling she lost two or three pieces from her hand. The next day Mrs. Singh lifted the plate a bit higher. Kamala looked at the plate, but failed to reach it. The plate was lowered again and Kamala grabbed at all of them. Next Kamala was given her biscuits along with the babies. This time the babies who could stand, or stand on their knees, were taken first, in the presence of Kamala. Those who could stand took the biscuits standing, and those who were crawling stood on their knees and extended their hands to receive them from Mrs. Singh's hand, just lowered enough to make it possible for them to reach them in the two different positions mentioned. After dealing with each baby, Kamala was tried. Kamala, like the crawling babies, stood on her knees to receive the biscuits. But when she tried to imitate a standing baby, she could not stand.
We devised a plan to encourage her to stand. We made her sit on a high stool so that she was at the same height as the standing baby. This went on for some time. Then at other times when the biscuits were being distributed, Kamala was not raised to the high stool purposely, as if apparently forgotten. She would be eagerly watching and waiting her turn after the babies. All of a sudden Mrs. Singh would turn round to find Kamala thus neglected, and would with loving expressions excuse herself for not noticing her, and would hasten to raise her onto a stool and give her a quantity of all that she had in her plate.
Exercise 2 February 13 to 27, 1922
On this date Mrs. Singh devised another plan: She gave Kamala a pillow to support her back against the wall so as to make her stand on her knees comfortably. The pillows were given not only to Kamala, but to all the crawling babies in the same fashion. First the babies were attended to, and Kamala watched the proceedings. Kamala saw the babies standing on their knees and stretching forth their hands to reach the plate high above their head containing biscuits and sweets. When Kamala's turn came, she obeyed willingly for the sake of the biscuits and sweets, which, like the babies, she loved. She stood there against the wall, supporting her waist and back on the pillow, and waited quietly for the plate of sweets and biscuits. The plate was presented to all by turn, and to Kamala too. The babies took their share and dropped on their hands and knees at once. But Kamala behaved otherwise. She remained on her knees much longer with the hope of getting some more. A high stool was placed in front of her, and the plate was placed there, so that, standing on her knees, she could reach it. She did not drop on her hands and knees, but remained in that state till the plate was finished. This procedure was continued for nearly two weeks every morning after tea at eight a.m. daily, and the result was that Kamala practiced standing on her knees daily.
Kamala standing on her knees
February 27, 1922
It was noticed after the twenty-seventh of February, 1922, that Kamala stood on her knees whenever she liked and especially when something was held up so that she could reach it, kneeling. She would crawl or go on all fours, but when she stopped she would generally stand on her knees.
March 2, 1922
She was observed on this date to walk on her knees for a short distance, and when she felt tired, she would go on all fours, or crawl. In this manner her association with Mrs. Singh and consequently with the crawling babies improved. Now she did not dislike the company of Mrs. Singh and the babies as she had before. Although it may be said that she had some liking for their company, at the same time it must be admitted that it was because of her craving for the sweets and biscuits that she permitted the babies to be with her. When Mrs. Singh entered alone without the babies, she was rather despondent, thinking that the biscuits and sweets were not following. This was actually the case. When the babies were not with her, the plate was also absent.
March 4, 1922
From this date Kamala did not need the pillow as a support to stand on her knees. She could do so whenever she liked. Especially when anything was offered her, she would at once raise her body and stretch out her hands, asking in this fashion for something Mrs. Singh or I happened to have in our hands. Everything she saw in our hands attracted her in a most tempting fashion, and she was eager to have it, thinking that it must be something to eat.
