Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-04
BUGS FOR MEDICINES.
QUEER WAYS IN WHICH M0NGOLIANS
CURE AILMENTS.

The Remedial Value OF Insects and
snakes-special Complaints they Cure.
Methods Employed by the Chinese to
Rid Themselves OF Disease.
Chinese drug stores, which may be num-
bered by the scores in the Monaghan
quarter, says the San Francisco Chronicle,
are in themselves complete and una
bridged museums Of insects. In the hum
dreds of neat drawers which line the walls
and in the numerous jars of fantastic de-
sign and barbaric form which ornament
these establishments, are to be found pre-
served flies, beetles, bees and every other
species OF insect life, not to menti on every
variety of toad, snake and lizard. Every
box Is carefully labelled with Chinese
signs, and the contents are carefully dried
before being stored away for medical use.
The Chinese druggist and his clerks
wear the same naughty and secretive airs
which SO become their Caucasian colabor-
ers. Should an ailing fellow-countyman
call at the establishment to have his pains
relieved and his ills cured he merely steps
into the store. The druggists knowledge
OF Monaghan diseases enables him to di-
agnose at once where the seat of the suffer-
ing mans ailment lies. The wise and all
dfsconcernfng pharmacist shrugs his
shoulders and mutterS a word or two. A
clerk steps UP to box and draws forth
dried snake. coiled and held in that posi-
ton by skewers. He passes it to an atten-
dant, and while the patient Is counting
out his 50 the snake is reduced to a pow
der and put in paper package. The suf-
ferer goes his way with a CLEAN of hope
in his eyes, for every Chinese knows that
snake powder Is determined foe to rheu-
matte pains.
Indigestion, such a baneful disease
where cooks do not mind their parts is
cured by powder Of dried horned toad,
provided it has been carefully caught and
prepared when the moon is on the wane.
Centpedes, which in life produce agoniz-
ing blisters in the neighborhood of their
bites, still carry with them in the powdered
state the faculty Of raising blisters when
made into poultice.
Scorpions, according to the Chinese way
of thinking, are invaluable when employed
as remedy for badly congested liver,
which ailment can only be surmised by the
Chinese druggist to be the one which
afflicts his sore and wearied customer.
Powdered bees and beetles are highly
regarded by the Chinese physicians in
the treatment of throat troubles, and if they
do not instantly effect a cure on being
taken the patient deserves to suffer.
Blood troubles, maglignant cancers and
scrofulous diseases die away when brought
into contact with powdered lizard.
The materia medica of the Chinese ply
stefan would be shorn of much of its value
did it not contain sea horse. Sea horse is
a general cure-all, and If Chinese drug
gist was unable to supply his customers
with any other remedy they would still
have implicit faith in their ultimate re-
covery If powders of that curious fish
were frequently administered.
The grasshopper, which is SO dreaded
by the farmers in the Western States, is
highly valued in Its powdered state by
The Weak and afflicted Chinese organs a &
OF. vision are. returned to their normal
condition by poultice 'of macerated hor-%
nets, So, .s'@E' 35 ..'sta 5s3
., Broken limbs rapidly knit together I'M
der the beneficent influence of a decoction
Of cockroaches.
1t must not be supposed for moment
that these are all the remedies dispensed
by the Chinese druggist. The few men
toned are but the staple remedies which
may be found in the medicine chest of
every Chinese family. The willy Mon
golian, too, does not trust his well-being
to them alone, but invokes the aid of his
household diety to rid him of his suffer
ings.
The evil spirits which constantly beset
the pathway OF the Mongolians are
charged with being the cause of all dis
eases. Such thing as attributing physi-
cal troubles to bad sewers, being out too
late at night or going to the lodge would
not be giventhe honor of consideration by
! any high-minded and honorable Chinese.
If. the gods and insects will not aid him, he
closes his, eyes in serenity as his end ap-
| proaches and calmly yields up his spirit
fate has decreed it. =, e..