Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-09

Long Island College Hospital, as ex.
pect to do next March. / will have the
honor to be the first Chinaman to prac-
tice medicine in this country according
to the English methods. Of course
the system Of medicine pursued in the
western hemisphere is far superior to
that which prevails in China, and the
more Intelligent part of my country
men freely confess this fact, and are
now willing to employ the practition-
ers OF the modern school in preference
to the followers of the ancient Chinese
method. In some respects, however,
the old method contains the element of
common sense; in the case of fever,
for instance, they give the patient a
detection made out of certain kinds of
herbs. This causes him to perspire
freely, and the fever will be quickly di-
minished.
Ihe system of medicine if it can be
called system) practiced by the Chi
nese must seem very curious to the in
habitants of the western hemisphere.
1t lis somewhat startling to learn, for
instance, that in China any man can
pulsue the profession Of physician :;
no. special education OF diploma is nee
essary. Any man that thinks he is es-
pegally empowered to cure diseases,
hatgs his sign out and waits for pa
tlehts. Ii he is successful and has
plenty Of patients and makes cures, no.
body questions that he is learned
man in his profession. The medicines
OF the Chinese have been handed down
for many generations back. A large
number of their medicines are taken
from animals, not less than 81 kinds
from fowls and birds, "a kinds; from
bugs, worms, snakes, shell-fsh, tl1r-
ties, flies, ETC., 50 kinds; fruits, 40
kinds; of the cabbage, turnip and mel
on families, 60 kinds. Chinese drug
gists generally have on their shelves
from 600 to 1000 different kinds OF
medicine.
The Chinese medical writer's do not
know of Harvey's theory of the circu-
lation of the blood; they make no dis
tinction between venous and arterial
blood.
They do not believe in the existence
OF a stomach They think that the in
ICI N1SCC1ti ID IL SUI vi uIeC. OllG ROOF
OF the tree being situated in the pelvic
region. According to their theory the
seat Of intelligence is not in the brain,
but is measured by the size of mans
heart-the larger his heart the more
intelligence he is possessed of. The
seat Of mans affections is located in
the liver.
The department. of surgery can
scarcely be said to exist in China. A
few of the native physicians have been
taught some Of the principles of oper-
ative surgery by some of the foreign
physicians. They have no surgical in
struments and none of the excellent
contrivances which modern science has
provided for the relief of injuries, de-
formities, and diseases. Their sur
geons set broken limbs. Not long ago
a specialist in this department., Leon
Jack, arrived from San Francisco and
opened an Office in New York. When
a mans arm is broken the bones will
be united, washes and salves will be
literally applied. then bandages, and
over all the dried, stiff bark Of tree
with the concave side fitting to the
arm, bound tight; in such a case ma
ture generally assists in the cure and
the arm will be sound and strong in a
few weeks. J. @. THoMs.