Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-08-13
AChInese Doctor.
HOW THE OPIUM HABIT Is CURED.

Recently, DIR. Joe Bak San, Chinese
physician and surgeon, established him
self in New York, and as is usual on the |
advent of distinguished stranger, a
reporter interviewed" him. The re-
suits are these
Half way up the stairs leading to his
Office the reporter met the doctor, who
had just come from a game of dominoes
with some of his countrymen. He was
n Chinaman, rather dark, of fair size and
flesh and amiable exterior. He conduct
ed the reporter to his office, smiling all
the time in pleasant way. Then he be-
gan to interview his interviewer in Wig
orous manner. After the reporter had
exhausted his knowledge of geography
and statistics, he, in turn, ventured to
question the doctor. "Chinee man, get
SICK" said the doctor; che go TO Nell
can doctor. Mclean doctor he give
Chinee man medicine; no good; charge
Chinee man tlee dollar. Me no charge
him so much" DR.. San came from San
Francisco about four weeks ago. He was
born and raised in China, and his grand
father and his father were physicians be-
fore him. When he was a boy they took
him to see the sick and taught him the
uses of medicines by their personal in
struction. Medical knowledge in China
was derived from books also. He show
ed the reporter his medical library of
works printed in the Chinese language.
They comprise forty volumes, beauti-
fully printed on the well-known Chinese
paper. All the books were of the same
size, each being about four inches wide
by six inches long and half an inch
thick. Ten volumes were on the proper
ties and uses of medicines known to the
Chinese pharmacy, and constituted dis
pensary. If any skeptical or inquisitive
Chinese patient doubted the efficacy OF
the medicine he had been taking, his
physician had simply to show him the
book. If the cure was there, that salts
reporter asked, if Chinese physicians
ever cut off limbs. The doctor replied
with considerable warmth that only
American doctors did that; Chinese doc
tors, on the contrary, usually saved in.
jured limbs. Asked if Chinese surgeons
ever used the knife, he said 'Never!'
| I'm do Of N NJ q for,
and on the counter stood an iron mortar
and pestle. Besides these, there were
some 200 large packages of medicines
labeled with large Chinese characters
and inclosed in light brown papers in
stead of bottles. These were piled OF
/ some shelves back of the counter They
were all Chinese medicines. The doctor
5 took down several packages and opened
them. They contained different drieC
} plants. One had rhubarb 'Do many
Q of the Chinese in New York use opiump'
( he was asked. Nicely alice Chinee mai
in New York use opium" was the reply
Opium hurt Chinee man. Chinee maj
drop over so; no touchee anything; hi
f hand tlemble too much; he no good
!, Me no smoke opium" Can you cure
Y Chinaman of the habit of using opium?
f "Yes"-after pause-''me clure him i
), he bleeve me. Me lockee him up in thi
i room, give him plenty to eat, give hin
: so much opium to-day, olive him s
much tomorrow" AS he said thes
words he broke off a match, and contin
ued breaking it off into smaller an
y smaller pieces, and laid the pieces alon
in q row, indicating thereby quantit
decreasing each day. 'tBly and bly,,
+ said the physician, "me no glivee hir
- opium at all. Him clured."