Smyrna times., 1888-07-04
A CELESTIAL ANEsTHETIc.
Operating a Chinese Laundryman's
Thumb-Substitute for Cocaine.

Thumb-Substitute for Cocaine.
1t is my pleasure and privilege to be the
friend of an amiable and intelligent gen
tleman Of the Chinese persuasion, whose
occupation is to ''washee, washee. two
dollar and a haluf a dozen" His prices
are somewhat eXorbitant, but he is great
lavatory artist, and, like Meissonier, he
can afford to ask more than ordinary
persons. Three days ago l 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 my first leisure moment be-
took myself to the laundry, where my
friend may usually be seen any time from
in the morning until II at night, clothed
with cheerfulness and a few cotton
garments, his clean shaven head wound
about with a long and silllen queue and in
dustriously occupied with his iron. The
"dull, sickening thud" of the warm flat
iron, however, was silent in the shop of
Lee Loo on the occasion of my visit, and
the gentleman himself reclined 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
paper covered with Chinese characters
pinned to them.
These l learned were prayers. 1t saved
time when he tumbled into bed at night,
tired out, to simply point to these and
mention to Buddha that those were his
sentiments and he entirely indOrsed them.
They had been somewhat lacking in their
power to ward off evil, because Lee Loo
looked very yellow and very miserable
coiled up in his bureau drawer. He in
formed me that he had a felon 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 off his finger,
which made his mental anguish greater
than the physical suffering. At this
! juncture the doctor came, and the solemn
! Importance of his manner would have
! done credit to DR.. MOrell Mackenzie him
! self After examining the finger he cal
culated to postpone the amputation anC
endeavor to save it by lancing and careful
treatment. Lee Loo shrunll from ever
| this with great fear, since the slightes
| touch to his thumb appeared to be ex
| cruclating.
Here comes the point of this story
The doctor got out his instruments, anC
while he was occupied thus sent Lee Loo
partner to the nearest grocery for a few
tablcspoonfuls Of -four. He then tool
from one Of his many mysterious pocket
an odd looking glass box which containet
a live frog; over the frog he sprinlled tn
flour and then pricked him gently severa
times with long pin. Under this provo
cation the frog exuded a viscid fui
which turned the flour into paste Thi
the doctor carefully scraped off of hir
and returned him to the box. The past
he dissolved in a small cup Of tepid waite
and in this water made Lee Loo place hi
afflicted finger. AS the effect of this cur
Gus treatment began to be felt the dis
tortion Of the afflicted Celestial's countt
nance began to disappear, and in ten miI
utes the doctor removed tho finger frO1
the water and calmly operated upon
without evidently causing the patient an
more pain than he would in trimming hi
nails. | stood by open mouthed, an
when the doctor rose to go | followed hil
and made inquiries as to what had seeI
He assured me that this anpstheti
which evidently supplies the place {
cocaine to the Chinaman, has been know
in China for many hundred years and
common use there for deadening the pal
that was to be cut. OF course they hay
never analyzed it-they only know tn;
it is so-but every Chinese doctor has
his medicine chest one or two frogs to
used in this way This is so remarkab
a fact that it should be known in ord
that American chemists can experimel
with it.-Brooklyn Eagle.