Around the world, people live healthier lives than in centuries past, in part because latrines keep faecal germs away from growing babies. Indian is an exception. Most Indians do not use toilets or latrines, and so infants in India are more likely to die than in neighbouring poorer countries. Children in India are more likely to be stunted than Children in sub-Saharan Africa. This title demonstrates that open defecation in India is not the result of poverty but a direct consequence of the caste system, untouchability and ritual purity.