The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-19
ANIMAL HOSPITALS IN INDIA.
A Result of Buddhist, Brahmin an
ZOrOastrian Doctrine

Result of Buddhist, Brahmin and
Zoroastrian Doctrine.
We all take just pride in the Dogs
Home and the Refuge for Horses-some
go so far as to subscribe for their main
tenance. They have no rivals in Eu-
rope, and many amiable persons rather
Jealous than well informed, regard them
as a triumph of Christian teaching.
AS a matter of fact, kindness to ami
mails is quite modern article of our
creed, almost local. Everywhere and
always good men have admitted it,,
whether heather or Christian. Butas a
tenet of religion 1t is not universally ac-
copied even now by any means Car
dinal Manning held that human beings
are not under any obligations to treat
animals kindly, for they have no souls
so says Froude, to whom the remark
was addressed. But twenty-five cen
turtles ago Buddha preached that this
Is mans first duty toward hia Creator.
And the same doctrine was taught in
the Zendavesta an indefinite number of
centuries before that. A striking pas
sage shows how the mystery and the
horror of dumb creatures suffering al
ready perplexed the wisest In the
| AOuuCll VI IIGdYGIn a OPlllt QSoSiilOtS liiC
wretchedness of cattle on earth. Who
is their protector? he passionately asks.
There is no reply; but the Spirit of
Righteousness and Order remarks, In
the decorous tone proper to such an au-
thoriiy, that a good man is merciful to
his beast: Mazda must know best"
And Mazda. the Supreme Being, finds
himself compelled to speak No pro-
tector has been assigned to cattle, he
says, since" they were created for the
use of man, to supply him with meat
and clothing. But the good Spirit cries
aloud: Then hast thou appointed no
one among mankind to defend them?"
lone mortal is acquainted with our
will" says Mazda "zarath ushtra
| (Zoroaster) has heard our DEGREES"
| 'Woe, woe!" means the Spnrit
Must l rest all my hopes upon the fee
BILE word of a Sage, when l need the
protection of hero! Oh, where Is the
Champion who will help my poor
beasts But thou knowest best, Q
Mazda!" How many ages ago was this
| fable written? But still, when a child
asks why do brute beasts suffer-"
we can only answer, Heaven knows"
| Perhaps there were animal hospitals
| in the time when the creed Of Zoroaster
flourished, but for some species at least
every house was an asylum. IF those
two servants of mine, the shepherd dog
and the watchdog, pass the dwelling of
any of my people, let them be admit
ted says Mazda. To iii treat dog
was sin of the first magnitude. heav-
lily punished on earth and through eter-
VT nvuIc oil nts,t< uorp6
whatsoever shall give these my birds
their fill Of meat, 1, Ahura Mazda, will
not question him in the day of account
He shall pass on his way, even to
Heaven" Asoka, the great Buddhist
king, certainly founded brute hospitals,
for there is one at Surat now, main
tanned since 244 B. G. by the Bankers
Guild, which assigns portion of it's
fees levied on bills of exchange to sup
port this and other charities estab- |
lished by Asoka. We have reference
to it in 1868, when three Portuguese
missionaries passed through Surat on
their way to convert Akbar. They were |
shocked by the superstition" Of the
Banyans, who neglected the sick and
infirm among their brethren while they
subscribed to hospitals, richly endowed
already, for birds and beasts. And
with chastened humor the monks tell a
little story A Portuguese captain, OBJ
serving this wicked folly, collected
of dogs, and let 1t be known
that he was about to kill them. A depu-
tation of Banyans waited upon him in
mortal anxiety, Offering ransom for the
victims; and in the end that clever cap
tain exchanged pack of worthless
ours for round sum of money
At Bombay and Ahmedobad also there
are famous hospitals for brutes, the
former munificently endowed by Sir
Jamsetji Jeejeebhoy, though the Parsees
have one of their own. 1t must be adj
nitted that neither travellers nor resi-
dents speak well of them for the most
part Those who know India might not
accept these reports with implicit faith.
But 1t seems too likely that benevolent
natives may be content with providing ,
shelter and food, Indifferent to all else
It would be consistent with other inn ,
perfections of their character We are 9
old that the great hospital enriched by 4
Parsee benefactions, called Plnjorapol'l I
S simply receptacle for stray animals, /
1alt and manned and diseased. There
S ma pretence of treatment, scarcely of I
Consequently all suffer I
rom mango and the dogs spend their Q
ime in fighting. They are covered with
>pen wounds and, In short, the specta- Il
lie is horrible. One odd detail, funny a
hough disgusting, must be mentioned.
The subscribers are mostly Jains-the '
mall but wealthy remnant of the old
indian Buddhists. Insects must not be I
of course, in charitable in
titution which they support. So an /
partment is allotted to this variety of c
reature. But to provide them with
God is not SO easy since dogs or other i
nimals shut in their ward" would t
is not to be endured. But 0
nan is free agent. and If he be willing t
, suffer for compensation the insects a
nay be fed without sin. So once t
lonth or thereabouts some wretched C