52. Retort to a Scientist

One afternoon to the Sabarmati Ashram came Dr. P.C. Roy, the renowned Bengalee scientist. "So you have given up taking milk?" he exclaimed as soon as he saw Gandhiji, and added something about the necessity of vitamins.

"Not given up," said Gandhiji, correcting him, "but only discontinued for the time being. But do you not remember your own words about tooth powders? : 'We manufacture tooth powders in our Bengal Chemical Works only for fools; for myself I find chalk powder good enough?' Even so it is with scientific theories; they are implicitly believed in by fools only, wise men take them with a grain of salt. Only today I was reading an article in which the vitamin theory was challenged."

The Bengal savant found the joke too much after his heart to contradict it, and passed on to other subjects.