The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-13
A CELESTIAL ANESTHETIC.
Operating on "a Chinese IaundrymSf
Thumb Substitute for Cocaine.


Thumb substitute for Cocaine.
II 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 haluf 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 | received word
from him that he was very unwcll and my
wash would not be home at the usual date.
also that he would like 10 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 shaver head wound
about with n long and silken queue and in
dustrioysly occupied with his iron Inc
dull, sickening thud' of the warm nat
iron. however, was silent in the shop OF
Lee Loo on the occasion of my visit, and
the gentleman himself rcclined in what
looked like q 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 learned were prayers. II 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 of evil. because Lee Loo
looked very yellow and very miserable
coiled up 10 his bureau drawer. lie in
formed me that he had "A ielon on his
thumb. which caused him the most nm
speakabe anguish and prevented him
from laundering. He had neglected it
and it had grown very bad indeed. aud
now the Chinese doctor was coming from
Mott street and had suggested that it
might be necessary 10 cut off 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.. Morell Mackenzie him
self After examining the finger be cal
culated to postpone the amputation and
endeavOr to save it by lancing and careful
treatment Lee Loo shrunk from even
this with great fear, since the slightest
touch to his thumb appeared to be ex
cruciGting
Here comes the point Of this story
Tho doctor got out his instruments. ana
while he was occupied thus sent Lee LO0's
partner to the nearest grocery for few
tablespOonfuls Of flour lie then took
from one Of his many mysterious pockets
an odd looking glass box which contained
a live tiOg. over the frog he sprinkled the
-four and then prlcked him gently several
times with long pin. nder ms provo.
cation the frog eXuded viscid huld
which turned the -four into paste. This
the doctor carefully scraped of OF him
and returned him to the box. The paste
he dissolved in u small cup of tepld water
and in this water made Lee Loo place his
afflicted finger As the effect Of this curl
Gus treatment began to be felt the dis
torti0n Of the afflicted Celestial's counte.
nance began to disappear, and IN ten min
utes the doctor removed the finger from
the water and calmly operated upon It
without evidently causing the patient any
more pain than he would in trimming his
nails stood by open mouthet, and
when the doctor rose TO 20 | followed him
and made inquiries as to what had seen
He assured me that this anesthetic
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 deadening the part
that was to be cut. OfCourse 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 be
used in this way This is So remarkable
n fact that it should be known in order
that American chemists can experiment
with it Brooklyn Eagle