Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-06-20
A DOCTRESS IN CHINA.
KATE COREY TELLS A REPORTEh
 SOME INTERESTING FACTS.


 In the Hospital in the Surgeon 5,O0s to 5000 were Treated Yearly-Why Chinese Women Readily Submit to Operations-Remedie Applied by the Natives. Miss Kate Corey, M D., has been ad. mitted to the Indiana Medical society as honorary member. This lady was for a hospital at Foochou, China. The hos pital of which she was in charge is for the treatment of native women and children. It was established and is SUD- ported by the Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary society of the Methodist Episco- pal church ten years ago.
 ''How many persons are treated there each year?' inquired the reporter who visited Dr. Corey.
 ''From 5000 to 5000 yearly. There would have been more, but with only one physician that was all that could be done. There are from seventy to eighty patients in the wards, and the hospital Is equipped in every way with drugs and instruments quite as well as most of the hospitals in this country. We have private rooms in which the better class of Chinese are cared for, and who pay for the treatment they receive; the large wards are for the common people. The dispensary prac- tice runs from fifty to eighty persons daily. These, like those who are patients in the wards, are women and children; occasionally a man.
 II had two relays of coolies to carry me in chair from house to house. It takes three men to carry the chair-that is, two to carry and one to steady 1t. I made 500 to 300 of these outside visits year, going into the homes of the Chinese. The better class of Chinese are now look ing toward Christian lands for physicians that is, women physicians-for th>ir the homes of more of the high-class peo- pie than ever before. Even the doors of the palace of the governor of. the city were opened to me, and I had frequent calls to the houses of other officials"
 "How do you do in surgical cases2 If death follows an operation, arc you not blamed or threatened?'
 ''We undertake no case in surgery until the utmost confidence is expressed and the patient is willing to take the risk of death. As indicating the conti- dence we inspire, mandarin came to me and pleaded with me to amputate his wife's leg. It would have to be ampu- tated at the hip joint, but the case had gone too far for surgery. Chinese women are ready to take the chance of death. If 0 Chinese woman feels that
 
 nor, or anything of the kind, she will in- sist that the attempt be made to remove it before she dies, for she believes that if she dies with the tumor removed her gods will not receive her, and her only chance of heaven is that she be re- ceived by the gods so that she may be reborn into the soul of 6 man. The Chi nese know nothing about surgery, be- cause they know nothing of the cadaver, for they believe 1t to be sacriiege to cut or mar the human body after death. They have many remedies. a few of which are efficiently and wisely used in some cases, but there is no such thing as science in Chinese medicine. The larger part of Chinese medicine consists of sorcery, incantation and sacrifice to idols."
 "What are some of the strange and bar barous remedies they employ?"
 ''They administer insects of various kinds; finger nails are sometimes given and all sorts of foul decoctions. Tigers teeth is one of their medicines. They regard disease as being communicated by evil spirits, and so the most outra- geouS remedies, with sacrifices to idols, are employed. Their knowledge of mer- cury in it's various forms is very complete, and I think they use it effectively. Often the first thing done with a new born babe is to give it dose of cinnabar, red sul- phuret of mercury, to purge it of evil spirits. Sometimes because of an over dose the child may be poisoned. have had few such brought to me with almost every joint in the body displaced. Nothing could be done for them and death followed. Fortunately such cases are few. Cauterization is universal in cases of pain or cramps, the burning be- ing done with hot irons. Cauterization is used for cholera"
 "Does the binding of the feet of girls and women give any hospital cases?"
 II have had to amputate toes, some- times the entire foot of child. The bandaging begins when girl is or years old. If scientifically done no bad result follows; if not so done gangrene is the result. The low caste women. the burden bearers and those who work in the fields do not have their feet bound. It Is badge of birth and social dis tinction. This idea of social distinction that the feet should be bound is held by mere children. One little girl about 2 years old was brought to me with gan. grenous toes. Before she was put un- der the influence of chloroform she was very anxious to know whether I would cut off her foot or not. Her reason for not wishing to lose her foot was that it might be spared so that she could bind it, and yet this poor child had suffered uutOlu agony WlCl uer 1oeG.
 II had as assistants in the hospital five Chinese girls, medical students They were taking a course under me and gave clinical and didactic lectures each day. At the end of two years study I think these girls could compare favor ably with any students at home here | who had studied the same length o1 time. My object here is to raise funds tc build an orphanage for Chinese girls | waifS cast off hy their parents Girls are often sold by parents into slavery o1 | lives of shame. The girls we educate became our most efficient workers" Dr. Corey hopes to return to China, il her health is restored, in about year. | Grafted Skin Changes Color. 1 An interesting experiment. was lately made on negro in Leipsic who was suf 1 fering from wound in the treatment o