Sent from J.R. Cross
1955
Description:

'...

8. I would like to make one point on the minute of the meeting on 28th May. In paragraph 2 (d) someone suggested that monkeys could be killed on the spot, and the kidneys transported. I trust that this will not be mooted with the Indians as it would be sufficient to ruin the whole programme. The Rhesus monkey is sacred in India - their ancestors assisted Rama in his battle with the King of Ceylon by stringing their tails together to form a bridge for him to cross. Just as the Hindu will not strive officiously to keep old cows alive so he can turn a blind eye to what happens to the monkeys after they leave India, but any attempt at "monkey slaughter" in this country would outrage religious feelings. Even now trappers - who are all Muslims - have difficulties in certain areas and are quite likely to be chased off by villagers. A possible idea which might save freight space and cost would be for a laboratory to be set up in some reasonably adjacent part of the globe, e.g. Singapore or the Persian Gulf, to save the long haul but I imagine that this would be a very difficult one to pursue.'