The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-07-11


R6iAonous Reptiles and Insects EmPloye
In Their Composition.
Chinese drug stores, which may b
numbered by the scores in the Mongc
Ian quarter, are In themselves com
/ plete and unabridged museums of in
sects. In the hundreds of neat drawer
| which line the walls and in the numer
Gus jars of fantastic design and bar
barrie form which ornament these es
Establishments, are to be found pre-
served flies, beetles, bees and every
other species of insect life, not to men
ton every variety of toad. snake anc
lizard Every box is carefully labeled
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
co-laborers. Should an s.ling fellow
countryman call at the esta blishment to
have his pains relieved and his ills
cured. he merely steps into the store.
The druggists knowledge of Mongolian
diseases enables him to Diagnose at
once where the seat of the suffering
mans ailment lies. The wise and all
discerning pharmacist shrugs his shout
ders and mutters q word or two. A
clerk steps up TO box and draws forth
a dried snake, coiled and held in that
position by skewers- He passes it to an
attendant, and while the patient is
counting out his two dollars, the snake
is reduced to a powder and put in a
paper package The sufferer goes his
way with CLEAN Of hope in his eyes,
for every Chinese knows that snake
powder Ia determined foe to rheumatic
pains
Indigestion, such a baneful disease
where cooks do not mind their parts, is
cured by powder of dried horned toad
provided 1t has been carefully caught
and prepared when the moon is on the
wane.
Centipedes, which in life produce
agonizing blisters in the ighborhood
OF their bites, still carry with them in
the powdered state the faculty Of rails
ing blisters when made into a poultice.
Scorpions, according to the Chinese
way of thinking, are invaluable when
employed as a remedy for badly con-
gested liver, which ailment can only be
surmised by the Chinese druggist to be
the one which affiicts his sore and
wearied customer.
Powdered bees and beetles are highly
regarded by the Chinese physician In
the treatment Of throat troubles, and If
they do not instantly effect cure on
being taken the patient deserves to
suffer.
Blood troubles, malignant cancers
and scrofulous diseases hie away when
brought into combat with powdered
lizard.
The materia medica of the Chinese |
physician would be Shorn of much OF Its |
value did II not contain sea horse. Sea |
horse is a general cure-all, and il a |
Chinese druggist was unable to supply |
MS customers with any other remedy |
they would still have implicit faith in
heir ultimate recovery if powders Of
hat curious fish were frequently ad-
ninistered
The grasshopper. which is SO dreaded
by the farmers In the western states, is
iighly valued in its powdered state by
The weak and afflicted Chinese or
rams OF vision are returned to their
formal condition by poultice of mac
rated hornets.
Broken limbs rapidly knit together
nder the benefcent influence of a
ecoction of cockroaehes.
1t must not be supposed for a moment ,
hat these are all the remedies dis
ensed by the Chinese druggist. The
ew mentioned are but the staple RENE .
les which may be found In the medi-
inc chest of every Chinese family. The /
lily MongOlian, too, does not trust his
ell being to them alone, but invokes
ne aid OF his household deity to rid him
his sutferings.
The evil spirits which constantly be- '
It the pathway of the Monaghan are
larged with being the cause of all
seases- Such a thing as attributinr
hysical troubles to bad sewers. being
1t too late at night or going to the
dge would not be given the honor of
by any high-minded and
onorsble Chinese. If the gods and in
cts will not aid him, he closes his ewes
serenity as his end approaches, and
Ilmly yields up his spirit-fate has de. q
eed it-San Francisco Chronicle. i