Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-30
DOCTORS IN CHINA.
DANGERS MEDICAL MISSIONARIES
HAVE TO ENCOUNTER.

Instructions Disobeyed and Various Obsta-
cles to Prevent the Recovery Of the Az
nicted Ignorance Makes the Chinese
Hard Patients.
The life Of medical missionary In
China Is filed with difficulties any one Of
which may become source Of positive
danger at any time.
In the making OF diagnosis many
perils Turk. The fever thermometer, tha
tongue depressor or the stethoscope may
be remembered az an evil implement in
the hands OF the foreign woman, calling
down upon the patient a bad spirit, IL he
should happen TO die even at some far dis
tant time while tho use Of more compli-
Gated instruments in examining the
throat, nose or eye Is advisable only In Sc
lected cases.
In prescribing medicines not only Is the
fear Of a future accusation of poisoning
ever present but the possibility that 1t
may prove to be a reality. Thus bottle
Of liniment curing the venerable grand
mother Of rheumatism may DO lent to
neighbor stricken with smallpox as an In
faliiblc remedy or the entire contents Of
vial Of toothache medicine be Administered
in one dose to "a teething infant. And
without exception the heathen Celestial
reason that If q small portion Of medicine
is Of any benefit the whole bottleful, taken
at once, multiplies its usefulness in a cor.
Z responding ratio, Therefore, If not pre-
viously warned, experience soon teaches
the missionary to make 1t an infallible rule
never to dispense a poisonous remedy or
ono which could do harm II the entire
quantity were taken at once. Liniments
and toothache drops compounded of nom
poisonous drugs may not be highly potent,
but they are at least harmless.
When it is absolutely necessary to ad-
minister a powerful remedy several times
or for several days in succession, the doc
tor puts each dose up in "a separate vial,
powder or capsule, and, leaving them at
the dispensary with a trained American
nurse or other foreign helper directs that
n servant or child Of the patient be sent
there for one every three hours or three
times "a day, as the case may require; 9TH
erwise it would all be taken Mt once or d.
vided among ailing neighbors.
In rare instances, where the sufferer be-
longs to the household Of great dignitary
or Is otherwise of especial importance, the
nurse to administer the drafts, but this
can rarely be done in country where one
treats 20, 600 or 3d. 600 patients annually.
10 guard the closets containing drugs
against Expectations the utmost precau-
tions are necessary As there is no privacy
in China, any attempt in that direction
producing suspicion Of hidden evils per-
ilous to tho welfare of foreigner, the
int ha ~
dispensa,', and even the well ones crowd
inside dur-Ig dispensing hours to observe
proceedings They watch the curious for
cign woman mixing various powders and
potions seemingly in "a haphazard fashion,
with tho passionate desire TO do likewise,
which will be gratifed if the closet Is ever
found unlocked. Meanwhile there is some
satisfaction In attempting to extract
powder from the table, bottle from tie
closet or even little dust spilled from
paper bag, attempts seldom successful.
Tho incentive is usually opium, though 1t
may BIO mere curiosity.
In tho matter of drugs the most faithful
servant In the mission hospital can never
be trusted, nor can the native assistants
nurses, no matter how carefully trained.
be allowed, as rule, TO handle or admin.
lister medicine.
Tho complications and responsibilities
usually attendant upon grave operations
are in China multiplied a thousandfuld.
For reasons explained above an operation
must never DO done in private, but in
room where 10 Is possible for the natives to
observe the mysterious rites from outside
posts of observation. 1t Is possible that
thoy may take alarm Mt any stage of the
Il,
difficulty, and tho death of the patient
may be followed by an open revolt. On
the contrary, If the operation Is successful
people afflicted with all sorts Of irremedial
surgical ailments in nowise resembling
tho preceding ono are brought to the little
hospital with the demand that they also
be relieved.
Against tho administration of an an
aesthetic thero is the greatest prejudice
tho condition of temporary unconscious
ness produced by it being beyond Chinese
comprehensioE. In tho majority of cases,
however, it is easily dispensed with, the
stoicism or the insensibility to pain of the
average Chinese being remarkable. He or
sho will open the mouth and submit TO
having every tooth extracted without
grimace or a groan, and it is with appar-
ont enjoyment that one receives the thrusts
of tho long, sinuous acupuncture needle
--acupuncture, universal panacea, is the
chief native surgical Observation-Disclosures
five inches In his swollen rheumatic knee
again and again by a native surgeon.
Tho dread Of smallpox and cholera dis
played by foreigners fills the Celestial
mind with surprise, and any show of alb
solute fear with the utmost contempt.
"Why bo afraid of smallpox" they ask,
when thousands of Cinnamon die from Is
every year? We know there is nothing to
fear from it," In these cases tho forlorn
hope of the Chinese leech is the famous
red pills-lingo pao you y tan, the super
natural treasure for all desires-globules
of the bigness of pins head, whose COM
position is secret and whose curative prop
critics are in Chinese eyes unequaled Ad-
vantage is taken of the fact that the pow
derwhen puffod up the nose acts like snuff
in producing sneezing to prognosticate
case of cholera or other illness. If pinch
win not produce one sneeze, the man will
die in n short time; il he sneezes once, he
will live at least one day longer; if twice,
two days; If 20 times, 20 days. and thus
the ratio continues.