New book

[Rajarshi Banerjee]

Inoculation against chicken pox was practiced in India and China before the
practice was discovered by western medicine.

A book by dharampal lists extensive records kept by the british on
innoculation practices in India. Weakened germ cultures were mantained in
Varanasi and people were sent out as far as bengal to innoculate people.

The cultures are referred to as consisting of animaliculae as told to a
british chronicler by an indian physician.

I also remember the the story of visuchika (cholera). VisUchika the
RAkshashi ( Demoness ) assumes the form of a needle , enters the body of her
victims and devours them from inside. I heard this story long back from my
great grand mother and want to know the source of this story.

RB