the sanitary aspect OF "MELAS.' One of the most most
important, and,
at
the same time,
one
of the
delicate
and troublesome duties which devolve upon a civilised Government, especially in the East, is the management, in
a
sanitary point
of
view,
of great
fairs, or as we call them gatherings, common to Christian, Mussalinan, and Hindu nations alike, have in every instance acquired a character quite foreign to the original purpose for which they were instituted ; and in many cases (especially in Europe) their primary object has been completely superseded by the secondary uses to which they have been put, Originally religious assemblies, pilgrimages on a large scale, organised by those who desired to celebrate a special festival at a particular shrine, they have in every case developed, or degenerated, more or less, into meetings for the pursuit of pleasure, or, more generally, for the transaction of secular business. Mammon, or pleasure, or both, have in every instance appro? priated part, and in some cases the whole, of the allegiance due to the local saint or deity. Even in India; where the melas" retain more of their religious character than the analogous "fairs" of Europe do, their original object is to a great extent obscured by their secondary one. In this Presidency, for example, the mela" of Sonepoor, and that of Debi Patau in Oudh, (better known to Europeans as the fair of Toolsipoor) are more celebrated as markets for horseflesh than as religious assemblies in honour of Mahadeo or of Debi Pateslnvari. Hence, in attempting to deal with melas, we aro opposed by three sections of the community ; those in whose is a sacred eyes attendance at the mela," "liajj," or "fair," to interfere ; is it with of the which blasphemy duty, discharge those who value the institutionas a market; and, last but not least, the dwellers, lay or clerical, on the spot itself, who have a vested interest" in the pilgrims or dealers who periodically assemble there. Apart from the religious aspect of the question, with which it is not our province to deal, fairs are important institutions in a commercial point of view, and even in Europe, where the improved means of communication, by rail and telegraph, have to a certain extent rendered commerce independent of them, it is still found to be worth the while of Governments to support existing fairs, and even to establish new ones; to say nothing of the modern "International Exhibitions," which are really fairs on a scale of grandeur unknown to former ages. In a country like this, where the in India,
"
melas."
These
"
"
"
"
THE SANITARY ASPECT OF "MELAS."
November 1, 1867.]
the confidence
2/5
far weaker than it used to
(already
be) of the good faitli of their foreign rulers, Europe. But there is a drawback to large or give better ground for raising the old cry, "The Sircar is gatherings of this kind, especially in warm climates, which going to make us all Christians zabardasti sc." To some to if be not from benefit derived nearly, entirely, outweighs any extent we might silence opposition, and enlist the good-will of them. Epidemic diseases either originate among, or arc introvested interests," by endowing the shrines, which we the duced into, the mass of persons so collected, and are carried by would deprive of their present income, with grants of land ; a the far The on their land. and wide over them, part dispersion, our contempornry which the greatest " mela" in the world, the hajj" at Mecca, measure which, we suspect, would horrify But even does. then we would the more than system present plays in the diffusion of epidemic diseases, is but too well of the question, and known ; and we see the same effects produced, on a smaller scale, only have dealt with the religious aspect even with that only imperfectly, since endowing the priests the Pak melas" at by Puttun, Juggurnath, Benares, Bahraich, would only satisfy them, but would leave their flocks still unand other holy places" in this country. This year we have seen for. The loss of fairs, as commercial institutions, provided cholera spread over the Punjab and North-West Provinces by the would still have to be compensated for, and this, we think, fair of whom from the Hurdwar, among pilgrims returning could only be done by instituting others. Civilised Europe the disease broke out in spite of well-devised and carefully cannot, even now, do without fairs, much less can imperfectly executed sanitary precautions. And it appears from Dr. of communication are still
means
imperfect,
the value of fairs is
natives of this country in the
till greater than in
"
"
"
"
Cutclifte's report that, within the last 84 years, outbreaks of
most, and
disease
attended
in all cases,
(in probably cholera), large mortality, have occurred at least six times at the Hurdwar melas; the outbreaks in three instances (in 1783, 1819, and 18G7), taking place at the time of the great Koombh Mela' "which is onty held every twelfth year. Dr. Cutcliffe had no source of information except the statements of the people of Hurdwar,who only spoke from memory; and we may fairly suppose that lie heard only of the more severe epidemics, and that many others, of less violence, occurred, but are now forgotten. Indeed, the epidemic of this year, which destroyed 1,265 persons in the Saharanpoor district alone within a month, will not, in all probability, be associated in the minds of the Hurdwar people with the mela, as it broke out on the last day, and the great majority with
of those attacked had left Hurdwar before the disease shewed itself among them. Only 19 cases of cholera, of which 11 died, were admitted into the Hurdwar hospital before the evening of the 15th
April, departure. To obviate,
on
which
as
in these assemblies,
by
possible,
the chance of disease
of quarantine, is, we fear, all rendering melas" harmless. "
do towards
can
pilgrims
taken their
originating
and,
we
with
that Govern, One of
our
zeal than discretion, suggests that Government should altogether prohibit them. In a sanitary,
contemporaries,
dare say, in
a
political point of view, no measure could popular with the magistrates, police
or more
desirable,
officers, serving
and civil surgeons, upon whom falls the task of preorder and health on such occasions. But, like many
other desirable measures, we fear that it is impracticable, except in a few isolated cases. At Fyzabad, for instance, when it was
(with questionable prudence)
to quarter the troops
along the river bank, the great " Ivutki Nahan" mela in October ?was put a stop to, the Guptar Ghat, at which it was held, being Such
included within the new cantonment.
perhaps,
be hereafter extended
?without
causing
more
than
to
such
temporary
a
places
measure as
might,
Allahabad,
dissatisfaction.
But
universal suppression of these religious, or quasi-religious, meetings throughout India would produce effects which would far outweigh any advantage to be gained by the suppression of faction fights, or the diminution of sncli
a
The Pathan
losing
told that the
measure as
zymotic diseases.
a
Nothing
would
more
thoroughly shake
dallal" will not feel much more
"
market for his horses at Ilurdwar
a
Brahmins there have
received
a
by
grant
of
land from Government. may wish, for we must
sanitary
accept them
For the present,\ however much wc reasons, to sec large melas put a stop to,
as a
necessary
prevent the ill consequences likely
evil, to
and do
our
best to
arise from them.
No
better model for the arrangements of a large fair could be taken than that adopted at Ilurdwar this year, and so well described
by Dr. CutclifFe in his interesting report. They succceded perfectly, the fair having been remarkably healthy until the day when the pilgrims began to disperse. Cholera, which there is reason to suspect was imported, then shewed itself, but the number actually attacked at Ilurdwar was, as we have seen, small. We may reasonably infer that, had the disease appeared earlier, while the pilgrims were in a properly arranged camp, medical arrangements, the out. break might have been considerably mitigated, and the further
with excellent conservancy and
prevented.
Unfortunately,
attacked had time to leave Ilurdwar and
directions,
and the
energetic
measures
those who
proceed in all
taken by Dr. CutclifTe
(who at once telegraphed to the principal medical officers of all the large stations between Lahore and Allahabad) could only partly succeed in checking the spread of contagion. We cannot conclude this article better than
more
be more
decided
being
were
proper conservancy arrangements, and its diffusion, when it has broken out, by
to guard against establishing a system nient
had
reconciled for
diffusion of the disease far
as
day
all the
civilised India.
by quoting
the
with which Dr. Cutclifie ends his report. 1.?That natives should be prohibited from set tin;; out for these fairs from any place in which cholera or small-pox is known to be epidemic. 2.?That through every district, lines of march, avoiding towns' and cantonments, should be marked out for pilgrims, and that halting places at proper distances from one another, should be selected. Each halting place should be laid out as an encampment, on the plan of the Hurdwar encampment of this year, modified to suit tho special circumstances of any particular case. 3. That in the event of an outbreak of an epidemic disease occurring at any halting place, the people of the encampment should be detained, under medical treatment, in an isolated place, till the disease had ceased, and be then turned back by another road and sent to their homes 4.?No individual affected with small-pox or cholera should be allowed to proceed forwards. lie should be detained in hospital until cured, and
suggestions
be then sent back to his home. 5.?That railroads should form
no exception to these rules. At each terminus, pilgrims' encamping grounds might be laid out. 6.?For pilgrims returning from to similar arrangements Hurdwar, those before described should be made.