Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-24
EVENING STAR.
A Japanese Medical sanret

The historian Of Commodore Perrv,s erpe-
dition to Japan concludes that the Jananess
are deficient in knowledge of medicine and
surgery, but he says some of their medicsI
preparations are very remarkable, producing
most singular effect. OF these (says the writer7
there is one spoken of by Titsngh, who saw
its application and It's consequences; and from
some OF the officers of our expedition We have
heard OF this preparation, Of which, we be-
lieve, they have brought home specimens
Titsingh thus writes 'Instead of enclosing
the bOdie. Of the dead in cofins of length
and breadth proportionate to the stature and
bulk of the deceased, they place the body in
tub three feet high, two feet and half in
diameter at the top, and two feet at bottom
1t is difficult to conceive how the BODY of a
grown person can be compressed into so small
space, when the limbs, rendered rigid by
death, cannot be bent in any way. Tne Ja-
panese to whom L made this observation, told
lie that they produced the result by means Of
particular powder called DO,ia, which they
introduce into the oars, nostrils. and mouth IF
the deceased, after which tho limbs, all at
once, acquire astonishing fexibility As they
promised to perform the ceremony in my
presence, L could not do otherwise than sus-
pend my judgment, lest / should condemn, IS
an absurd fiction, fact which, indeed, sur
passes our conceptions, but may yet be sus-
cepuble of a plausable explanation, es-
peciaily by galvcnism, the recently discovered
effects of which also appeared at frst to ex-
ceed the bounds OF credulity The expert
ment accordingly took place in the month Of
October, 1888, when the cold was pretty Sc
yerc. young Dutchman having died in our
factory at Dezima, directed the physician 70
cause the body to be washed and ief. all night
exposed to the air, on a table placed near an
open window, in order that it might become
completely stiff Next morning several Ja-
panesc, some of the officers Of our factory, and
myself, wen. 10 examine the corpse, which
was hard as piece of wood. One Of the in
terpreters, named Derby, drew from his bosom
a santock, or pocket book, and took out Of it
an Cblong paper, filled with coarse powder
resembling sand This was the famous DOSla
powder. lie put pinch into the ears, another
pinch into the nOstTils, and third into the
mouth and presently, whether from the effect
Of this drug. or Of some trick which could
not detect, tho arms, which had been crossed
over the breast, dropped of themselves, and
In less than twenty minutes, by the watch, the
body recovered its hexibility. l attributed
this phenomenon to the action of some subtle
poison, but was assured that the DOsiG pow
der, SO far from being poisonous, was most
excellent medicine in child bearing, for dis
eases of the eyes, and for other maladies.
An infusion of this powder, taken even in per-
feet health, is said 10 have virtues which
cause 1t to be IN request among the japanese
of all classes. 1t cheers the spirits land re-
freshes the body II is carefully tied up In q
white cloth and dried, after being used, as it
will serve great number Of times without
losing its virtues.