The Opelousas courier., 1884-10-11

| natives were entering, WlCnout ehe
customary formality of paying a fee.
We were promptly met by a Moham,
medan native in charge, who inquired
Of nv companion, SIS your house we'll!
1t is against the rules of Indian ELL
quette to specify the wife or child ID
seeking information touching the
| health.
81 heard" he continued, stillin Hin
doostanee, which was translated to me
afterward, 'that your enemies were
sick"
This, again, is the Mohammedan
way of intimating that the speaker has
learned of your own ill health. Cir
cumlocutions are always employed in
speaking of the health. / have
learned a good many things about ma
tive customs which facilitate my inter
course with the people. For instance.
I know better than to offer to buy OF q
| Mohammedan of rank any article be-
longing to him which I may covet, fol
he is SURF to give it to me instead, n
then expect something worth twice a
much in return. In the present case
our host was too busy to waste much
time in ceremonious babble, and we
L
began our tour of the institution forth
with. First we visited the department
OF cows. Here were BOSSES with all
sorts of diseases and misfortunes. One
had the hind leg cut off above the
knee. Several had stiff legs that pro-
jected in various awkward ways, and
seemed tc be quite paralyzed. Others
had sores upon their bodies that Were
pitiable to look upon. There were 9
few calves that had not inherited the
mothers disease, and these, we Were
informed, were given to poor p ople.
The place was not inviting, of course,
| for no place can be where such loath-
some ailments are brought together
but at least, the animals had enough
to eat, with kind treatment beside. and
it is a rebuke to our civilization that
we have NO such institution. This
hospital is a public charity kept up by
the heather residents of Bombay, with
such aid from outsiders as may volun-
tarily be contributed.
The horses department was a repe-
ition of the diseases and malforma-
zion witnessed among the bovines
Two very aged animals were dying
upon the floor of their stalls.
The cat and dog departments were
in different parts of the same Enclosure.
The cats were the most attractive
The dogs were dreadfully NANCY, and
all seemed to be afflicted with repulsive
running sores.
"Wouldn't it be better tohave sepa-
rate pens for each dogP" I inquired
Surely these sores must be conta-
gious."
"Yes, that is one of the considera-
tions of the future. We cannot yet dc
all that we would. We have twoc carts
out all day picking up diseased ane
homeless dogs"
"What are done with the animals as
fast as they dieg
every night we gather them up
take them to a place in the suburbs of
the city and there bury them. Yor
will notice that there are several dead
dogs lying among the rest now"
GLOW many animals have you got
hereg"
''Oh, the number changes every day,
of course; but you might say 1900 i'll
ound numbers. Then you know
here are two other branches of the
P%inirapool in Bombay, each of which
has from 1900 to 1900 animals. Our
facilities are inadequate to the work
that is before us"
The same story of disease and age
was told in the other departments
those for pigs, sheep. buffaloes, mon
keys, porcupines, jackals and various
kinds of birds. Besides those animals
thus provided with pens, there were
calves and goats wandering promiscu-
ously over the premises. and thousands
Of pigeons flying about just over oul
heads. I have never heard of any in
stitution elsewhere that was so extern
sive; and yet it is curious that in these
days of humane societies pagan India
should furnish this singular example.
Receipts.