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To the guardian of public health, such restrictions imply household quarantine of
a very strict character, a quarantine rendered imperative by the sanctity of religious
observance.
The original framers of this Hindoo ceremonial code had evidently the danger of
contagion prominently before their eyes, and fenced the affairs of every-day life in such a
way as to attain their end most effectually.
With a rare perception of the philosophy of human action, they put their restrictions on
the ground of self-interest, and not on that of public safety. It was provided that beggars
should be prevented from coming to the house, not because they might receive and communi-
cate contagion to other benevolent persons, but in case they might injure those inoculated.
The barber might not pursue his calling in such a house, not lest he should endanger his
next customer, but in case the inoculation should be harmed. Fish being the only important
article of diet requiring to be procured daily, was interdicted, not lest those going to market
for it should endanger public health, but because its presence in the house was prejudicial to those
concerned. A person in an infected household was prevented from associating with unprotected
persons, not to save such from danger, but in case their uncleanness might prove dangerous to
the inoculated; the restriction imposed being of such a harassing nature as to lead those whose
avocations might tend to a frequent breaking of the rule to renounce for the time any such
business, it being shrewdly surmised, that without very cogent reasons no person would subject
himself to an unusual succession of baths and changes of raiment. The casual acquaintance
from another village must not enter such a sick room, not to save himself from carrying the
disease to his own house, but lest he should anger Siltolah, and bring down her wrath on the
infected person: a special clean suit of clothes was not at his disposal, and without it, his
merely passing the threshold of the sick room was declared profanation.
Alternative results, should inoculation be pro-
hibited.
20. There are two alternatives which roust present themselves, should variolation be
prohibited ; either the Government must come for-
ward and by means of large and perfectly organized
establishments provide vaccination, and supply it to
every district; or the country must be left unprotected and liable to be continually devastated
by small-pox: either alternative is, in the present day, impossible.
Question of leaving the population without any
means of protection from small-pox.
21. The latter cannot be thought of in the face of the facts which have occurred even
during the present century; with the details before
them, of events leading to whole communities being
all but swept off the face of the earth, by the ravages
of unrestricted small-pox, no Government could maturely arrive at the decision, that the
people should be forced to subject themselves to the not remote danger of becoming annihilated
by this disease. Besides this, although, in the most turbulent times, a Brigade of English
troops could march through the length and breadth of Bengal, it is open to question whe-
ther the whole of the troops in the pay of Great Britain would be numerous enough to sup¬
press the practice of inoculation in Bengal. The people know too well the great advantage
which, as individuals, they can derive from inoculation, and however stringent may be the
measures intended for its prevention they will clandestinely protect themselves from small-
pox, in spite of every prohibition.
Question of providing vaccination for the whole
of Bengal.
22. The only other alternative is, that the Government should accept the obli-
gation of providing vaccination to every one
deprived of the power of protecting himself by
inoculation.
Vaccination in India differs from
vaccination in Europe in two very important respects; in the first place, the population is quite
unprovided with Medical men who can vaccinate, and again, the climate for half the year is
so inimical to the success of vaccination that private enterprise can never be expected to be
able to keep up a continuation of effective virus, during the hot and rainy months. Even
if in succeeding centuries, medical aid such as is to be found in Europe, should be provided for
the people, while the temperature in the unfavorable months remains the same, the practice of
vaccination will always continue to be practically impossible through private agency. Vacci-
nation in this country is essentially an exotic. In a Hill climate or during the cold months in the
plains it flourishes with a vigour and facility of propagation seldom equalled, and nowhere sur-
passed.When the weather becomes warmer a change ensues. Superinduced inflammatory results,
from trivial causes, interfere with success. The virus degenerates, an inflammatory sore and not