Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-08-19

AEO1CAG M1SS1oNA01ES.
The Expesseaee u Eve Pretty Ysung
Deeassesses ADsag the CAiaese.
People are very we'll acquainted with
religious missionaries. and know their
objects and aims and all abou: them, but
very few are aware of the fact that there
are such people as medical missionaries
A Denver reporter had the pleasure of
meeting two of them. They are very
charming and handsome young ladies'
DR.. Ella Gilchrist and Dr.. Kate Bush
nell. The prefix Doctor Is used, ~
that Il the one which thsy css 10 add-
ressina each Other. They are graduates
Of the Chicago Wonsn's Medical Col
le9e. Dr.. 0lchfist is small, well-buit
lady, no more than q years old. and DR..
Bushnell h tall brunette, With pretty
teeth, clear olive complexion, . winning
smile, and very expressive eyes. They
were graduates in medicine who had
been SAINT 70 China TO teach the Chinese
their system Of doctorinQ. and to ASSIST
the other missionaries In Outstanding
the people. The Methodist Board Of
Foreign Missions sent them and the
Presbyterian Church also sent few.
Women were sent, As men would not be
allowed to attend Chinese women. There
we're about so of these medical mission
aries in that country. and they were &C.
complishina great deal OF good.
did the people receive yoar admins
tratious kindly:' asked the reporter.
very kindly, indeed. We had all the
work we could attend to. We had wor-
lug with us Bible woman and a teach
or, and We were able to assist them in
marked degree. The people whom We
cured were very easy 70 influence. and
none disputed our authority.
"What system Of medicine do the CHI
neee doctors follow"
mo regular system. A Chinese doc
tor does not study and 20 through a
course N We do. Any man becomes q
physician when be pleaseS. An ordinary
man. when he thinks he can cure any
particular disease, bangs out his shingle,
declares himself, and starts out to kill
or cure. Generally the former. They
pretend to discover all forms Of diseases
By the pulse. Of which they claim to dis
tin9uish thirty-two varieties. For in
stance. they claim that a certain kind of
pulse indicates disease of the liver, and
another kind affection of the heart, but
theT have no idea of the internal organs
and knowledge of anatomy whatever.
They have not the slightest conception
where the spleen or smaller organs are,
aad Of co ,rae their treatment is the
mereSt On ,ckery. The most ignorant
man in the community can become
physician BY hanging out a sign.
Zone Of their greatest remedies is to
pinch the patient violently. One often
SECS patients recovering from attacks,
covered all over with purple marks.
where they have been piuched until
nsarlv dead with pain. Another very
common treatment prac.iced IL to caute
rize. have seen bodies with their ten
der skin fearfully burned by the doctors
in trying to cure them Of fits. There is
no system. Each physician gives his
patient ANYTHING which his fancy may
dictate. The medicine, strange to say,
is changed to suit the patient, the doctors
seeming to think that costly medicine
must perform cure, and the cOstlier 1t
II the quicker the cure. The richer the
patient is the more he has to pay for his
medicine and We have seen even solu-
tons of gold and silver given. In ex-
trene cases there is one remedy resOrted
to which is simply horrible. Should the
head of the house be dying and the doc
tors give up all hope. they announce
that the only thing which will save him
is piece of warm human flesh. When
this announcement is made one OF the
daughters of the house is expected TO
offer herself rs q sacrifice an the altar of
ancestral reverence. The doctors out
of her body large piece Of flesh, which
the diving man eats. As rule, the patti
emit dies and also the heroic daughter.
Tho relatives whoreupOn erect mOnu
ment on her grave, inscribed with the
story Of her sacrifice"
"What are the fees Of Chinsse doc
tors?''
"Thoy have no fixed fees. When
man is sick the family makes barg sin
With him. If the family ia poor the
charge il small, even as low as ten cents
visit. If the family ID we'll of tho fec
may be ss high as Fifty cents, aud for
persons Of great rank or wealth even 81
might BIO charged: but this would DO
very exceptional"
How did the native physicians receive
your"
Every kindly. We treated the families
OF several physicians, and they would
come to Us for assistance when they
would have very severe case. One
time We operated upon woman, and re-
moved an immense tumor. Two native
physicians who were in the caae consi-
dered this a most remarkable perform
ance, and they quietly wrote up a long
article, which they had published in the
Chinese newspaper at Pekin. It was
very complimentary article They could
not translate our names, as they had no
sounds of a similar character, SO they
called DR.. Bushnell 'Boc,' and DR.. Gil
christ Lii"
Arc you hard of hearing7 Go to DR..
Miller, il3-1m