The Plague appears really to have made some impression upon
Hindoo minds. A great meeting was held at Bombay on Wednesday, at which some five thousand " Bohras " were present with their high priest, together with Professor Haff- kine, who has discovered a very promising form of inocula- tion. The high priest made a speech, in which he declared that there was nothing opposed to religion in the Professor's system, and then and there consented to be inoculated, and what was a stronger indication of his faith, to suffer his son to be inoculated also. "A large portion of those present followed his example." There it is. The Hindoos will not endure segregation, which involves the removal of women from their homes, nor will they bear domiciliary visits by soldiers ; but if the white doctors can suggest remedies or preventives which do not menace their honour, they will follow them readily enough. The point is to convince their own ecclesiastical leaders first of all that no oppression is intended. It is natural enough that doctors and Magistrates, who know that they only intend to benefit the people, should be impatient of a foolish resistance ; but a little more per- suasion and coaxing done through the right agents would smooth the path of science very greatly. To the cleansing of the drains, to the slaughter of the rats, to the burning of infected houses—with compensation—and to taking medicine there is no resistance whatever.
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