246 SURG.-GEN. C. A. GORDON, M.D., C.B., ETC., ON 
The Cuarrman (Sir JoserH Farrer, K.C.8.1., F.R.S.)—I am 
sure we must all feel that our thanks are due, not only to Dr. 
Gordon for his most interesting Paper, but also to his son, for so 
carefully rendering it. It seems to me to be a singularly interest- 
ing Paper in so short a space, giving an epitome, as it does, of the 
ancient history, philosophy and medicine of India. Before making 
any further remarks I will invite discussion. 
Mr. Cuunpra SexHar Sour.—There is one point in regard to 
distinction of caste upon which I would like to make a remark. 
Brahmins eat and drink together, but there is no such thing as an 
Indian born in one caste rising to or being admitted into another. 
Mr. T. H. Tuornton, C.S.I.—AIl I can do is to bear general 
testimony to the fact that the Paper is a very interesting reswmé of 
facts regarding India. Of late many circumstances, and especially 
railway travelling, have tended greatly to modify the strict ex- 
clusiveness of caste. Strictly speaking no Brahmin should sit 
in the vicinity of a person of the lowest caste; and I remember 
when railways were first projected in India it was feared that 
an enormous number of classes would be necessary in order 
to enable the different castes to have carriages for themselves ; 
but in practice there is not the slightest difficulty ; in a railway 
carriage a Brahmin of the highest rank will gladly sit next 
to a Sudra of the lowest caste if he can save sixpence by so doing. 
I have noted one or two other points in the Paper to which I 
take exception, for instance, “on the other hand, proselytes are 
not admitted into any of the families or castes enumerated.” 
Theoretically that is perfectly true, but practically, as Sir Alfred 
‘Lynn has shown, in some parts of India the aboriginal races are 
being admitted in large numbers to castes of Hindoos. They are 
first admitted into an exceedingly low caste, and after a time by a 
little payment and intermarriage, they gradually work themselves 
up into a higher caste. Again the author says at page 231, “ The 
village system of communities is detailed much as it exists at the 
present day.” Well, that is not exactly the case, because there is 
a very remarkable difference between the communities, as they 
exist in the present day, and the communities as depicted in the 
Vedas, and it opens up a very interesting question. In the Vedas 
the villages are represented as consisting of an aggregate of 
holdings in severalty, and there is a remarkable omission of what 
constitutes now a very interesting feature in the villages at any 
