THE USE OF AMULETS IN THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE. 237 



ghat by the purohit or by an elderly woman. Offerings of rice, plantains, and sweets are 

 made, and distributed amongst the worshippers. 



As a rule, however, measures are only taken against illnesses and epidemics when 

 they make their appearance. In the case of epidemics, precautions are observed when 



neighbouring villages are attacked, and further measures are taken 

 Epidem.cs. when the disease has effected an entry. The most general and 



serious epidemics are cholera, smallpox, and plague. Many of the observances are com- 

 mon to all of them, but cholera and smallpox have their own presiding deities, and the 

 measures taken to propitiate them accordingly vary with the disease. Plague is too 

 recent a visitation to have been provided as yet with a separate godling and ritual. When 

 any measures beyond those taken in the case of epidemics generally are required for it, the 

 forms peculiar to cholera are usually observed. 



Villages are protected from epidemics in Eastern Bengal by bamboo posts to which 

 are attached earthen plates (sard) or flags, which are sometimes consecrated with holy 

 mustard-oil. Tantrik mantras or texts from the Quran are written with ink, or the blood 

 of moles or bats, on the plates or on pieces of paper attached to the flags. Various sub- 

 stances tied in rags are sometimes added. The posts are planted at the four corners of 

 the village, and sometimes on every- path which leads to it. To protect a particular house, 

 similar posts are planted at the corners or in front of the door. Earthen plates on which 

 texts have been written are often hung at the door of the main room, or upon the wall of 

 the house, or are buried before the threshold. 



Except in Howrah, Hooghly and a few of the neighbouring districts, it is customary 

 to place an old black earthen pot, usually containing ashes, whose outer side is streaked 

 with lime and sometimes splashed with vermilion or ornamented with the figure of a man, 

 together with an old broom and a torn shoe, on the path leading in the direction from 

 which the disease is expected to come, beyond the village boundary and preferably at 

 cross roads. The ceremony, which is known in many places as gram bandhi or "barri- 

 cading the village," is sometimes performed at midnight. Similar pots are placed at the 

 door of a house to protect it from the epidemic, or in a field to save the crop from 

 damage. In such cases the pots are often placed upside down upon sticks, or the brooms 

 are tied to the ends of bamboos planted in the ground. The idea seems to be that 

 the godling or spirit will turn aside on meeting this unattractive group of articles and 

 leave the town or village unmolested. In Orissa holes are dug outside the town or 

 village and filled with rice or mustard-seed whilst mantras are uttered. 



In Chota Nagpur recourse is had to the exorcist who fasts and recites mantras. 

 When he has worked himself into a frenzy, he selects a root, of which a piece is given 

 to each householder. The Kurmis each eat their piece ; the Goalas tie it to the thatch 

 above the door ; whilst the Tamaras bury it before the threshold. 



Houses may be further protected by bars of cow-dung placed across the approaches ; 

 or they are washed and camphor is scattered in the rooms. Sometimes an Ojha, Faqir 

 or Mahati goes round the house three times repeating mantras or uttering the mystic 

 syllable " Hish," and scattering consecrated dust or mustard-seed, after which some 

 consecrated object is buried at the door. A similar method is practised for the 



