Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-06-14
A CELESTIAL ANES1hETIc.
Operating On . Chine~e Laundrywan
Thumb fOs Csa-Atne.

Operating On . Chinese Launsiryman's
Thumb -sut-titut~ fos Css-.ise.
II Is my pleasure ami privilege to b. the
friend Of an amiabe and intelligent gen
tleman Of the Chinr>r persuasion whssse
occupation Is to was!iee washee two
dollar and haiuf dozen His prices
are somewhat exorbifsni but he Is a great
lav1iury artist and like MeissOnier- he
can afford 10 ask more than ordinary
persous THREE days ago received word
from him that he was very unwell and my
wash would not be home at the usual date.
also that he would like to see me !
therefore at NV first leisure moment BE-
took myself to the laundry where my
friend may usually be seen any time from
9 in the morning until II al night. clothed
with cheerfulness and q few cotton
garments. his clean shaver head wound
about with long and silken queue and in
dustriously occupied with his iron Tho
dull, sickening thud" Of the warm fat
iron however. was silent in the shop OF
Lee Loo on the occasion Of nv visit and
the gentleman himself recliued in what
looked like a small bureau drawer. but
was supposed to be his bed. in the back Of
the shop This was hung about with red
cotton curtains. and these had strips Of
CostTto win Suilcoc CnAI LCAo
pinned TO them
These learned were prayers II saved
time when he tumbled into bed al night
tired out. to simply point to these and
mention to Buddha that those were his
sentiments and he entirely Endorsed them
They had been somewhat lacking in their
power to ward of evil becalise lee Loo
looked very yellow and very miserable
coiled up in his bureau drawer He in
formed me that he had a felhn on his
thumb. which caused him the most un
speakable anguish and prevented him
from laundering He had neglected it
and it had grown very bad indeed and
now the Chinese doctor was coming from
Mott street and had suggested that it
might be necessary to cut of his finger.
which made his mental anguish greater
than the physical suffering AT this
iuncture the doctor came. and the solemn
Importance of his manner would have
done credit to DR. Morel Mackenzie him
self After examining the finger he cal
culated to postpone the amputation and
endeavor to save it by lancing and careful
treatment Lee Loo shrlink from even
this with great fear since the slightest
touch to his thumb appeared to be ex
cruciating
Here comes the point of this story
The doctor got out his instruments. and
while he was occupied thus sent Lee Loot
partner to the nearest grocery for few
tablespoonfuls of -four He then took
from one of his many mysterious pockets
an odd looking glass box which contained
live frog over the frog he sprinkled the
-four and then pricked him gently several
times with a long pin Under this provo
cation the frog exuded a viscid Huid
which turned the hour into paste This
the doctor carefully scraped off Of him
and returned him to the box The paste
he dissolved in Il small cup of tepid water
and in this water made Lee Loo place his
afflicted finger As the effect of this curl
Gus treatment began to he felt the dis
tortion of the afflicted Celestials counte
nance began to disappear and in ten min
utes the doctor removed the finger from
the water and calmly operated upon II
without evidently causing the patient any
| more pain than he would in trimming his
nails stood by open mouthed. and
when the doctor rose to go followed him
| and made inquiries as to what had seen
He assured me that this an9sthetic
which evidently supplies the place OF
cocaine to the Chinaman. has been known
in China for many hundred years and In
common use there for deadenlng the part
that was to be cut OF course they have
never analysed it--they only know that
it is so-but every Chinese doctor has in
his medicine chest one or two frogs to bt
used in this way This is so remarkable
fact that il should be known in order
that American chemists can experiment
with it. brooklyn Eagle