The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-04
ANIMAL HOSPITALS IN INDIA.
A Result of Buddhist. Brnhmfn and
ZOroastrinn Doctrine.
From the Pall Mall Gazette.

From the Pail Mall Gazette.
We all take a 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 Europe
and many amiable persons, rather zeal
Gus than well informed, regard them as
triumph of Christian teaching. AS mat
ter of fact, kindness to animals is quite
modern article of our creed, almost
local. Everywhere and always good men
have admitted it, whether heathen or
Christian. But as a tenet of religion II is
not universally accepted even now by any
means. Cardinal Manning held that hui
man beings are not under any obligation
to treat animals kindly, for they have
no souls-so says Froude, to whom the
remark was addressed. But twenty-five
centuries ago Buddha preached that this
is mans first duty toward his Creator.
And the same doctrine was taught In the
zendavesia ans indefinite number of CEN
turtles before that. A striking passage
shows how the mystery and the horror of
dumb creatures suffering already per-
picked the wisest. In the Council of
Heaven a Spirit describes the wretched-
ness of cattle on earth. Who is their
protector? he passiona tely asks. There
is no reply; but the Spirit of Righteous
ness and Order remarks, in the decorous
tone proper to such an authority, that
good man is merciful to his beast:
Mazda must know best" And Mazda
the Supreme Being, finds himself compel
led to speak No protector has been as
signed 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 de-
fend them" Zone mortal is acquainted
| With vyi
ushtra (Zoroaster) has heard our de-
| crees." "Woe woe!' means the Spirit.
Must I rest all my hopes upon the feeble
word Of Sage, when I need the protec-
| ton of a herol Oh, where is the Champion
| who will help my poor beastsi But thou
kpowest best. o Mazda" How many ages
ago was this fable written? But still when
a child asks, why do brute beasts suf-
! fer?" we can only answer, Heaven
! knows"
Perhaps there were animal hospitals in
the time when the creed OF Zoroaster -four
/ ished, but for some species at least every
/ house was an asylum. "If these two SER
| wants of mine, the shepherd deg and the
watch dog. p7ss the dwelling of any of my
people, let them be admitted" says Mazda.
To i'll treat a dog was a sin of the first
magnitude. heavily punished on earth and
through eternity Fowls also were semi
sacred. whatsoever shall give these my
birds their fill of meat 1. Ahura Mazda,
will not question him in the day of ac-
count, He shall pass on his way. even 10
! Heaven" Asoka, the great Buddhist King
certainly founded brute hospitals. for
there is one at Surat now. maintained
since IA b. C. by the Bankers Guild
which assigns portion of Its fees levied
on bills of exchange to support this and
| other charities established by Asoka. We
have a 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 in
| firm among their brethren while they sub
scribed to hospitals. richly endowed al
ready for birds and beasts And with
chastened humor the monks tell little
story. A Portuguese captain, observing
this wicked folly, collected a number of
about to kill them. deputation of Ban
vans waited upon him in mortal anxiety,
offering ransom for the victims; ard in
the end that clever captain exchanged a
pack of worthless ours for "A round sum of
money.
At bombay and Ahmedabad also there
are famous hospitals for brutes, the for
mer munihcenty endowed by Sir jam
setii Jeejeebhoy though the Parsees have
one Of their own. II must be admitted
that neither travellers nor residents speak
well of them for the most part. Those who
know India might not accept these re-
ports with implicit faith. But It seems
too likely that benevolent natives may
be content with providing shelter and
food, indifferent to all else. 1t would be
consistent with other imperfections OF
| their character. We are told that the
great hospital enriched by Parsee bene-
factions, called Pinjorapol, Is simply re-
ceptacle for stray animals, halt and main-
ed and diseased. There is no pretense
OF treatment scarcely of supervision. Con-
sequently all suffer from mango and the
dogs spend Their time IN hghting. They