Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-07-30
ABSURD CHINESE NOTIONS.
sernar<abIe Ignorance Of Medicine
In the Celestial Empire.

- II
In the Celestial Empire
Medical Science in China" was the
title OF IA paper read before the Academy
NJ Authropology by DIR. Henry s.
p-syt,u. The paper had been pre-
,,rsl bv Prof +. z. Thwing, of the
r,at.n Hospital, and was sent by him
o., ur. Draytou to be read before the
..-,Isuv. Or. Thwing declared that
..i,prs did not exist IN China. The
rslres Of centuries had crystalized,
rrI there was an abundance of theories,
.reruIatious, traditions and supersti-
tons. but very little knowledge.
One cause Of this was the Chinese
r.rrrage, the most meager and tedious
q .u tongues. The Chinese scholar
MA, q lTereut to other tongues because
h.. was unable 10 study them in his
.wr. But still greater obstacles than
his were the ignorance and prejudice
OBJ. the people. The method of study
auI the means Of information afforded
il aCliuese doctor were difficult to over
come. 4 single Chinese work on
mater medIca and therapeutics, WAS
rt forty volumes with quotations from
-Ta authors. \ work ON plants was in
..ytv volumes with LIS engravings.
=, the dissection Of the body Is for
hidden In China, the Chinese have the
most absurd notions Of anatomy and
pLv~i0logy. They believe that the food
- f-...,, 4T... .-,,1a.r int, tho stomach
that the laryux leads into tie heart,
tbat the soul is in the liver, ami that
the pit of the stomach is the seat of
breath and the source OF Joy. They
regard the skull as one bone, likewise
the arm. They regard the right kidney
MS the gate Of life, and hold that each
urgun Is related to earth, air, fire,
metals and water. Fire rules the heart,
metals the lungs, water the kidneys,
au I So on
There Is not square inch of human
body that is nameless to the Chinese.
An application Is made on the dual
rrncruIe of action and reaction, and
herbs. nominations, idols and numerous
other pagan means are used in treat
ueut. The medical students study
anatomy from the copper model of a
man, which Is pierced with holes and
marked with the names OF pulses.
These pulses are divided into six wrist
pulses, and each wrist pulse l. sub
divided into tweuty-four others. There
re the Chinese medical student has tc
study IA pulses IN order to become
familiar with the Chinese system o.
medicine. The idol Is also brought
into use, and it is believed that the par
N which the patient suffers may bt
cured 10y rubbing a corresponding par
ot the idol. Any body may become 1
doctor, and conseqUtn ntly quacks anc
impusters are abundant. StIll the Law
holds that TO rrolong a disease Is equiv
a.eut TO stealing the money obtained
from the patient, while having cas-,
terminate in death may result In tn,
doctor losing his head. In spite of al
these difficulties the Chinese race con
stautly increases.
Surgery Is utterly unknown to th'
Chinese, as they believe that any dis
tguremeut in life viii be transmitted
o. the next world-that one-legge,
mau viii become cne-legged angel
And Vet the Chinese are capable of be
coming excellent surgeons, for the.
Iuye all the cuoluess and deftness neces
s.rv to the calling. DIR. Thwing de
rAreJ that the changes within the las
q. .ty years in the practice of me,hcIn
IL China hal been marvellous. The In
vasion Of Europe1n and American
doctors had wrought great change
aud the Chinese were at Last gradual.
awakening to the necessity of scien
tiic study and practice of medicine
The people had learned where to fin,
IeurL and were denouncing theI
lr gsts and quucks. China was an un
limited field for women physicians, as
Chinese woman would suffer almos
rn, thing before she would submit t
treatment by male. Vaccination ha
been recently introduced, and was re
garIed as "a blessing. There were ais
sixty mission hospitals in China, wit
eighty doctors IN attendance, aud a
effort WAS being made to establish "a
asylum Tor the insane, something EIti
erto unknown IN China. The conserys
tIsu of the Chinese was great barrie
70 advancement in the knowledge al
practice of medicine, but 1t was bein
overcome slowly but surely.-N !
Itui,s.