TO THE COURT OF AYA. 437 
exist in regard to the subject. Among the Bur- 
mans, lepers are held to be unclean ; they are 
expelled from society, and compelled to live in 
separate villages, which may be considered as so 
many lazarettos. The Burmans, however, go 
much farther than either the Jews or our Eu¬ 
ropean ancestors. The lepers themselves are 
not only expelled from society, but the inter¬ 
dict extends hereditarily, and for ever, to their 
descendants, who are considered as outcasts, 
ranking with the burners of the dead, or Chan- 
dalas, and other impure classes. A leper, or the 
child of a leper, can only marry with another 
leper, or the descendant of a leper. When a 
candidate presents himself for ordination to the 
priesthood, he is made to swear that he has no 
taint of leprosy, and even a priest who is de¬ 
tected with the disorder is expelled forthwith 
from the monastery. The bodies of all respect¬ 
able Burmans are burnt and not interred. This 
rite is denied to the lepers, who can be buried 
only, or as we would express it in our own case, 
they*are “refused Christian burial.” Leprosy 
also is considered a sufficient cause for the dis¬ 
solution of marriages. A leprous wife would 
be immediately repudiated by her husband, and 
a wife will part without scruple from a husband 
who is affected with the disorder. Money how- 
