Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-11-14
MEDICINE AMONG KOREANS.
They Almost Worship . sargeons bat
Despise u Pbysician-

Most of the Korea.s hare very little
confidence in foreign medicines. 1t Is
surgery only which cDlists their adj
miration. They have many doctors
among themselves. men unacquainted.
10 be sure. with the languages of
Europe. which they hold in high
esteem. but learned in the Chinese
character. in which they can read all
the medical treatises of Chinese clas-
sizes. These doctors have medicines of
their own. even worse tasting than
ours. which they furnish their patients
in liberal quantities.; and. pray. why
should man who has failed to receive
benefit from three gallons of a mixture
so nauseating that he could not retain
it upon his stomach, place faith in a
small bottle Of medicine as clear as
water? Moreover. if there be any
virtue in a teaspoonful OF such
liquid. there is surely much more in
cupiul. So the probability is that the
foreign doctors medicine is taken ali
In Que or two doses. aud the result
gives the victim very poor estimate
Of foreign treatment.
But with surgery the conditions are
wholly different. the Korean doctor.
1t is true. has his set Of instruments
and bis method of using them; hut he
knows as little of anatomical differen-
tiation and localzation as did our fore
fathers Of the patriarchal days. The
diseases in which and the localities
upon which 10 use his instruments are
determined by arbitrary rules savor-
ing more of necromancy than of medi-
cal skill. Scarcely patient presents
himself who has not upon his back or
clest or limbs the marks Of the native
doctors knives-round scars an inch
or more broad. ten or dozen OF them
in symmetrical arrangement. showing
where long knives have been plunged
deep into the tissues. Several cases
have been encountered by foreign
practitioners here where such treat
ment has led 10 severe inflam NATION.
the immediate cause OF death. Aud
not infrequently the appearance of
these scars directly over the seat of
vital organs occasions surprise that
these fatal cases are not more COM
mon.
The astonishment of the native doc
tor. therefore. Is quite equal to that of
the patients when the foreign surgeon
coolly and carefully sewers the living
tissues with his keen knife or unites
them with needle aud silk. was in-
teIssely amused last week by the open
muuthed wonder of group of soldiers
and chair-bearers who stood about the
door of my drug.room TO see me tie a
squirting artery and bring together the
gaping edges of "A wound incurred by
one of their comrades. Equal interest
and amazement are displayed upon
every use of my pocket case. Almost
every wound brought TO me to dress
has been previously plastered with
mud or with some powder supposed to
possess healing properties, and my
first step in treatment must be to
cleanse the part of its filthy incum-
brances. The sight of blood for which
he is responsible quite unnerves the
Korean, aud he looks with awe upon
the temerity OF the foreigner who
works on coolly amid increasing
streams OF the red liquid which be
himself draws, aud which he seems
able TO stanch at will.
So it is that the Koreans have uu-
bounded confidence in foreign surgical
skill. They believe that we are quite
capable Of miracles, aud are amazed
When we refuse 10 perform them. Not
long since man came 200 miles ia
order that l might place new eyes in
his empty sockets. and would not be
put of with the first assurance OF its
impossibility. / have been asked to
restore withered hands. sightless eyes,
limbs deformed from childhood. fract-
ured bones united in malpositions. and
10 remove countless scars and facial
blemishes Of various descriptions. So
much confidence was felt in my surgi-
cal skill that was allowed last month
TO attempt the removal of a needle
broken oil in the palm of woman of
rank. The hand was passed through
an aperture in a screen. and was held
By her husband. while | sat on the
ioor beside him and welded the
scalpel. 1t was comical to see the
saw me draw blood freely aud heard
her declaration that she felt no pain.
because of the cocaine had applied.
In my medical work l have received
most efficient aid from those who have
previously become somewhat accus-
toned to our medical procedure. The
Koreans are a very teachable people.
They are people without religion.
for all forms of religion are prescribed