Page:McCosh, John - Advice to Officers in India (1856).djvu/142

 sepoys make their own arrangements for their meals; and if too sick to cook for themselves,one of their comrades is allowed to wait upon him. Medical comforts only, such as wine, sago, arrow-root, sugar or tea, &c., are supplied at the public expense. A greater outrage could not be offered them, than by stepping into this tabooed circle; and were even the commanding officer of the corps to do so, a strict Hindoo would consider his meal polluted and cast it to the dogs. I have seen a poor villager stop in the midst of his repast and scatter his morsel of rice upon the ground, because I inadvertently passed so near that my shadow fell upon it; and I have witnessed an old woman returning from the Ganges with a jar of water on her head, pour it out as an abomination, because I suddenly met her on the foot-path. He must not be annoyed,if now and then some patient, in articulo mortis, distrusts his prescriptions and prefers being treated by charms and sacrifices in his own way; for in extreme cases they are very apt to return to their birth-right notions, and invoke the aid of some of their numerous deities.

In fatal cases, the Surgeon must dispense with autopsy, as sepoys have the most inveterate pre-judice to that being done; and consider such an act an affront and disgrace inflicted upon the surviving relations.