Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-17
HUMAN BODIES AS FERTILIZERS.
Hindoo's Odd Reason for Directing to
Cremation
From the San Francisco Call.

From the San Francisco Call.
Owing to the crowded condition of the
swarming population in many parts of In
dia and the wretched circumstances amid
which so many millions of them live, 1t has
been found difficult for the British officials
to check the progress of plaques and pes
tiences by the exercise Of the most strin-
gent sanitary regulations. In spite OF all
that has been done to improve the health Of
the country, disease germs Turk and prop
agate almost everywhere. Much of the
evil Is attributed to the methods employed
by the various races and sects in dealing
with the bodies Of their dead, and some
time ago the government undertook to In
duce the people to practice cremation 1t
is the belief of the government that II all
the diseased bodies were duly burned the
deadly germs would be gradually Destroy
ed and danger of pestilence largely dimin-
ished.
When the proposal was submitted to the
Indian council it was we'll understood that
1t would meet with violent opposition. and
that it would be impossible to enforce 1t
by arbitrary act A campaign of education
on the subject, was, therefore, begun with
the hope that it would eventually. result In
obtaining the assent Of the leaders of the
natives to the reform. 1t was deemed
foregone conclusion that the opposition
would be based upon religious grounds. and
accordingly the campaign OF education was
carefully outlined to avoid that issue. and
bring the whole proposition within the do
main of science.
To the establishment of the British. some
Of the leading Brahmins have declared
against cremation. on the grounds Of the
very science to which the government APP
pealed. TheeWestminster Gazette quotes a
Brahmin member of the staff OF the Indian
Government Educational Institution as say
ing: There Is no substance in the world
which is SO rich in plant food as the car
cass Of an animal When it is burned and
converted into ashes all the work accom-
pished by nature in her laboratory is
wasted. The nitrogen Is dispersed in the
air. At 3d. a pound the nitrogen in flesh
and bones in each human carcass Is worth
about rupees. 1t is worth while storing
it away at the roots Of plants instead Of FL
nation can do little harm long as 1t Is
practiced by few, but universally adopted
it will only mean q few million tons of food
less per annum, and a gradually diminish
ing supply Of food for the existing races of
animals. - " I would rather imagine my
body slowly passing into the substances ct
mangoes and gold mohurs' planted in GEM
it's native elements by sudden process in
the course of an hour"
While that argument Is more remarkable
for its ingenuity than its validity, 1t is an
interesting illustration of the extent to
which Great Britain has managed to incul-
cate western scientific ideas among the
leaders Of one of the most conservative
castles in the world. 1t also shows how diff
flcult 1t is going to be to get that conserva
tism to change its ancient ways. The very
lessons taught by science are employed to
forge weapons against the innovations of
science Evidently 1t will be a long time
before cremation prevails in India.