National Republican., 1883-12-26
MEDICAL rnAcr1cE IN lNDIA.
Some Accounts OF the Queer Compounds
Used by burmese and slamese Physi-

some Accounts OF the Queer Compounds
Used by burmese and slamese Physi-
CLANS.
Saturday Rcuie,0
The Burman is an excitable parsonage and
requires his medicines to be as speedy in OBJ
vious results as possible, Consequently his
doctors in self.defense have to mako their
prescriptions as nasty as they possibly can
as gripping as q rat trap, as strong as polecat,
and as immediate in action as poker APP
piled red hot. A Bengal apotheoary once
made a great reputation by giving all his pa
tients Unfortunately a tablespoonful of
Gregorys powder TO swallow dry. This
made quite beau ideal dose for Burman.
II was not only exceedingly nasty from the
and did not get any more pleasant in the
interval. On the other hand, castor oil Is a
dismal failure from this point of view. Most
Burmans would drink quart and smack
their lips after it. Thoy would, however, be
gravely vdispleased If such a pleasant bev-
erage were offered them when they were
unwell and longed for something disagree
able. While the robust Burman thus refuses to
be cured by anything which docs not come
up to the traditional idea of medicine in the
way of making him feel very uncomfortable,
the effeminate Siamese, Cambojans and An
namese require OF their doctors that the pre-
scriptions shall bo as little unpleasant as
possible. The demand creates supply, and
it Is singular how, with their limited OK
perienco, tho local medicos are able to pro-
duce drugs which are ordinarily far from be-
ing disagreeable. It is true that among their
remedies figure crushed spiders, pieces of rep
tiles, ground serpents' bones, scrapings Of the
horns of wild goats, stags and rhinoceroses
and the scales of fishes and insects, which
are not altogether alarming to western no.
tions. Orientals are however, not 30 fas-
tidious, and Judging from the other medi-
cines in their pharmacopia, these cannot be
so repulsive as imagination figures them.
The Annamese practitioners refer all sick
nesses to disturbance of tho equilibrium in
the human economy, caused by an excess
either Of heat or cold. This greatly SIM
plihes matters for the doctor, whatever may
be the result for the patient. In the one
case sedatives, such as opium or Indian hemp,
arc used; in the other, stimulants of the most
extraordinary variety, saffron and cinnamon
bark, play avery great part, and species OF
cardamon, which grows in Upper Camboja, is
regarded as a sovereign remedy. When the
sick man is irritable it is considered well tc
bring him to n proper frame of mind by ad'
ministering a spoonful of q warm infusion oi
theleaves of the Datura stramonium. Thi;
at once renders him tractablo. In doubtful
cases the generally accepted rule seems to bC
to give the patient the advantage of hotch
potch of all the contents of the medical chest
This always has definite result If the
man is going to get better there is sure tC
be something in the mixture which will
help him on. If not, he succumbs immedi
ately and gives no further trouble. Relatives
are satisfied that he was fated to die, for If
dose of every known medicine would no
set him on his legs again his case must in
deed have been hopeless OF such charac
ter was the celebrated nostrum exhibited Il
an astonished English doctor of the Benga
medical service. This was green powde
containing no less than q hundred and sixt,
different Ingredients. 1t was of very grea
value In critical cases.