Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 259
Malfuzat - Volume I 259 cleaned well, because so long as the cause of infection exists, its outcome cannot be dispelled. What more can a physician do than to give one or two grams of medicine? However, what can medicine do to thwart the effects of that filth which is inhaled with every breath? How can plague be cured if one remains in the same house? People are oblivious to the fierce clutches of the plague. It is impossible for a person to breathe where someone has died of the plague due to the filth in such places. It is vile to think ill of the government. The plans devised by the government are apt. It is incumbent on my community to support the government and advise their neighbourhood friends, whether Hindu or Muslim. They ought to dispel the misunderstanding of those who erroneously believe that the government has conspired to kill them. Someone ought to ask these foolish people that is the government spending hundreds of thousands of rupees just to wipe out the people? Does the government enjoy bearing such burden? The fact of the matter is that the plague is a most deadly epidemic. What is Plague? Firstly, one ought to understand the nature of plague. It causes severe fever, fainting, nausea, headache, memory loss, heavy shivering, anxiety and fear. Then, after a few days a bubo develops, which at times resembles a small pimple and at times a large blister. At times, this abnormal growth develops in the upper area of the thigh, at times behind the ear and at times on the neck, and even results in meningitis. All of this perhaps transpires within twenty-four hours. The government receives information of such infected people rarely, because for the first twenty hours or so, the family mistakes the symptoms to be nothing more than a common fever. Then, after it becomes clear that these are symptoms of plague, they begin to hide the matter and the government receives intimation only after the illness has reached its final stages. If after this stage, an infected per- son does not die within an hour or two, what else is to be expected? This is noth- ing less than foolish and absurd that the people themselves are to blame, yet they cast aspersions on the government. If the government commits an error, we are responsible for pointing it out. However, the pure intentions of the government and their desire for the people's well-being is so great that they themselves have sought advice on the best course of action. However, our country really is full of near uncivilised and ignorant people. They have nothing but anger and ill-will.