Page:McCosh, John - Advice to Officers in India (1856).djvu/37

 there are dispensaries supported by Government, and placed under the medical charge of a sub-assistant-surgeon. By a recent return, I find that the following is the result for one half-year only,inclusive of the Punjaub:— (| align=center
 * Patients (out-door). . ..
 * 127,778
 * resident . . ..
 * 4,719
 * Surgical operations . . ..
 * 1,127
 * }
 * 1,127
 * }
 * }

It is remarkable,that the natives generally have a great aversion to vaccination,and prefer the old mode of inoculation; for I believe this is still allowed, without any infringement of the law,as it would be if practised in England.

15. NATIVE SKILL.—The healing art has been practiced from time immemorial, amongst the natives, by self taught practitioners, and their precepts have been handed down from generation to generation as a valuable inheritance to their children. Every village has its doctor, and every village doctor has his thousand cures for all the ills that flesh is heir to. Many of their remedies are worthy of a place in our more enlightened codes, and have indeed been adopted, and their success in surgery in cases of cataract and calculus is wonderful,considering their ignorance of anatomy. Of course superstition, charms and philters form a large portion of their treatment.

16. MEDICAL LITERATURE.—This, like other branches of periodical literature in India, has