The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-06
1T MAKES HUE KIN SMILE.
AN AMERICAN DESCRIPTION M
CHINESE PHYSICItSs

III nnA IIVNn III
this country twCnty.oight years. During that
time no has not been idle. lie has boon con.
verted to Christianity, hns become a mlss onary
among his countrymcn here, and has lcnrped IN
talk In English polysyllablcs. Not long oqo a
New York physician published an article ON
Chinese medical practice and theories. Tho
other day n STU reporter showed the article to
Mr.. HUE Kin, who forthwith smiled n smilo
which was childlike and bland. lie said that
he knew precious little about the practice Of
medicine in China, but no seemed to think that
he knew enough to question some of the Ameri.
can doctors statements.
Ono or the oneninG statements OF the article
in question was that dissections ara intcrdicted
by law and frowned uron by public opinion In
China. Mr.. HUE admitted the latter part of
this statement but didn't know about the law.
The American writer said that the Chinese be-
licve that a mutilatcd body will entcr the world
TO come In the snme condition, and will continue
80 forever afterwnrd. Mr.. Huie said that the
Chinese believe In the transmiEration OF souls,
ana that, although they have a violent preiu.
dice against losing n leg or an arm, for instance.
he was not sure that they believed that the un-
fortunate man who had lost one would be born
minus n leg or an arm in his next incarnation.
There is a great prejudice, however," he
said, against anything like a surgical opera.
tion. III person dies mystcriously tho friends
''' - go ef wi SNVh ia IL CDuhoO l
finding out the cause of his death. There arc
no colleges OF medicine in China as there arc
here. Tho profession ia handed down from
father to son. When n man hangs out his sign
he puts on 1t his own name and that Of tho
ancestor from whom he Is descended. Each
family tries to discover special remedies, and
these they keep secret, transmitting tho formu-
Ice from ono generation to another"
In addition to these secret formulas there are
| II RQH Drfnted onea in N atp11a ana ~ th,i.
ancient books of medicine. 80 that a sick China
man cannot lack an assortment from which to
choose. In the line of secret prescriptions the
American doctor also had information to offer.
He said in his article that he just must toll
about the famous red pills tthe italics arc hls)
"of which" said he. "wo have all hoard" The
doctor gives an extremely interesting account
of those red pills. not to have heard of which.
according to the doctor, seems to argue ones self
most ignorant.
I'm Pekin." he says. "thoy have a prodieious
celebrity and are extolled as q panacea for all tho
ills a Chinaman is heir to. They are om9opa
thic in size, and tho dose is from two TO n dozen
according TO the gravity of the case. They arc
perhaps the most active sudorihc known TO tho
medical world. The modus operandf is even
more remarkable. A single pill is powdered
and applied to the nose like SNUFF, provoking
such a succession of sneezes that the whole body
lhoSSoto oiu Shh Jul ihlo u iOlCn ptTkDlTH-
ton. They depend, too, upon this wonderful
pill in prognosis. II a pinch does not mako a
sick man sncezo his case 10 hopeless; IL he
snceZcs but once he will live but one day. HOBO
grows in exact proportion to tho number Of
sneezes and tho vigor with which they are
delivered
Mr.. HUE smiled and was properly entertained
by this tale. but did not seem to think that its
aim was moro than to please. However, he has
i n L. tlt. - I- .
scarcely know 1t II Pekin was sncezing one
universal rod-pill sneeze. Moreover, he never
patvonizes the Chinese doctors who ornament
the medical profession in this city, So he may
not be such q great authority on red or other
colorcd pills. He says that he always patronizes
American physicians when in need of medical
attention.
The Chinese arc not so ready to go to
q doctor AS tho Americans arc" he said.
They give nature a better chance. They are
very superstitious. OF course, and send for Ger.
tain ola women to come and sing, magic songs
TO be fairly successful. for the Chinese frequently
grow t9 an advanced age. My father Is s1 years
old and my mother is over 20. In Tie small vii
lage where they live here are perhaps $50 IN
father" '"o "ke d. my
In regard to smallpox, tho American doctor
says that the practice of incubation. or plant.
ing. has been handed down sincc 1914 Is. G.
biH in theory me mar rs mat # the The b poison Of smallpox is
Ths babies are always inocSlsted, s Ha' GSa a%d
autumn being the proper seasons. with q care
ful avoidance OF the eleventh and ftteonlh days
OF the moon. The planting" is done by In.
lymph and introd ucing it into the %nostriis. The
poison is traced AS follows: Through the nose it
the liver, the kidneys. and finally the bones.
sm Mrii nj, nui te says that no one THINKS more of
lie says that u person isn't considered really
grown up until he has had smallpox. chicken
inoculator goes about tho country, from house
70 house, planting + the disease in ali neees-
pay; but il it doesn't. he receives no iG eeS wh nts
eyer: In the practice q regula. lhysici"ns
ever no can get, cN' cpt In very serious cases,
where the compensation Is hnrgained for before.
hand. According to ,,Ilr. liuic Kin, the often
paid only SO long rs his clients remains well and
Tint the salary stops in case of sickness is sheer
The American doctor relates an interesting
story OF The way in which n Chinese physician
eral ribs. The Chinese medical man first or.
dered his patient 10 DO stripped TO the waist,
open air; While making this little promonade
fne patient suddenly received a basinful OF
draw In his breath with violence. The Doctor
f fSn : ga him for this treatment by telling him
store the ribs to their normal position. Tho
method failed. howeyer. 80 another Ingenious
66o l%n w on t eSao gred the patient WAS made to Sit
4 ''N'sf 'h'iS io wac III
this position. the doctor ana his two assistants
held u cloth oyer the unfortunate mans mouth
ana nose until he was almost suffocated. This,
according to the doctor. by the violent heaving
OF the chest would force the ribs into place
again: And it did. The gentleman had also re-
cclyed a scalp wound. That was healed by being
stuffed with burned cotton.
The Chinese practitioners seem to have n fond
ness Tor puncturing their patients. They usc u
lance Tor .syncope. tor dccp-scated pains, for
swelling Of the joints. sprains. dry coughs. and
various other ailments. They seem to regard
the human BODY as n great pin cushion, with
which they have II great deal OF fun. They are
also prone to cauteriaing and other cheerful
practices. Wild honey is u much pleasanlcr
popular remedy for colds and for chapprd hands
and rough skin.
The yin and the yang arc said to be the two
elonientS OF every body. The yin Is tho male
ami the yang the female principle N nature.
When they are in perfect harmony in he human
body, health is the result. When the two clo.
inents have u cantankerous time OF IL, sickness
Is the result. Tho br in is said to he tho abode
OF ne yin principle. The surface Of tho Louy is
situated minuiely ana every square inch OF it
hnS, ITS own particular name. These diagram
med spots are treated with plnSters and lotions
| which ri HuuT EnH IN uuf t,n. tI.F Y---.