The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-17

fancy cures me, it's all the same. I've
got about 50 worth of that fancy, or
that ginger and Pm goin' to stick to it.
You hear me-" and he carefully put it
back in his pocket
At which criticisms and gibes broke
forth. If he, Cy Parker, white man,
was going to "demean himself" by con-
sulting a Chinese quack, he'd better
buy up lot of idols and stand them
up around his cabin. If he had had
that sort O. condolences with See Yup,
he ought TO 90 to work with him on his
cheap tailings and be fumigated all at
same time. If he'd been smoking an
opium pipe instead of smelling punk,
he ought to be man enough TO confess
it. Yet it was noticeable that they
were all very anxious to examine the
packet again; but Cy Parker was alike
Indifferent to demand or entreaty.
A few days later saw Abe Wynford,
one of the party, coming out of See
Yup's wash house. He muttered some
thing in passing about the infamous de-
lay in sending home his washing, but
did not linger long in conversation.
The next day | met another miner at
the wash house, but he fingered so long
on some trifing details that finally
left him alone there with See Yup.
When l called up Poker Jack of Shasta
there was a singular smell of incense
in his cabin, which he attributed to the
very resinous quality of the fir logs he
was burning, l did not attempt to probe
these mysteries by any direct appeal to
See Yup himself. respected his reti-
cence. Indeed, if l had not, / was
quite satisfied that he would have lied
to me. Enough that his wash house
was well patronized and he was de-
cidely "getting on"
1t might have been a month after
ward that DR.. Duchesne was setting a
broken bone in the settlement, and, af-
ter the operation was over, had strolled
into the Palmetto saloon. He was an
old army surgeon, much respected and
loved in the district, although perhaps
a little feared for the honest roughness
and military precision of his speech.
After he had exchanged salutations
with the miners in his usual hearty
fashion and accepted their invitation 10
drink, Cy Parker, with a certain affect.
ed carelessness which did not, however
conceal singular hesitation in his
speech, began:
"I've been wantin' to ask ye ques.
ton, Doc-a sort o. darn fool question,
ye Accommodating in the way of con
sultation, don't you see, tho it's kinder
in the way o. your purfeshion. Sabe?'
humoredly, "this is my dispensary
hour"
ooh, it amt anything about symp
toms, Doc, and there amt anything the
matter with me. It's only just to ash
ye if we happened to know anything
about the medical practice of these yel
Chinamen?"
81 don't know" said the doctor
bluntly, "and 1 don't know anybody
who does"
There was sudden silence in the
bar, and the doctor, putting down hi
glass, continued with slight profession
al precision:
"You see, the Chinese know nothing
of anatomy from personal observation
Autopsies and dissection are against
their superstitions, which declare the
human body sacred, and are conse.
quently never practiced."
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curing interest among the party, and
Cy Parker, after a meaning glance al
the others, went on, half aggressively
half alphabetically:
sin course, they amt surgeons like
you, Doc, but that don't keep them
from havin' their own little medicines
just as dogs eat grass, you know. Now
L want to put it to you, as fair mind.
ed man, if you mean ter say that jest
because these old women who sarve
out YARDS and spring medicines in fam
lilies don't know anything of anatomy
they amt fit to give us their simple and
nat'ral medicines?"
but the Chinese medicines are moi
simple or NATURAL" replied the doctor
coolly.
"Not simpler" echoed the party
closing round him.
81 don't mean TO say" continued the
doctor, glancing around at their eager
excited faces with an appearance Of
wonder, that they are positively nox
ious, unless taken in large quantities
for they are not drugs at all, but Ger,
tainly they are not simple. Do you
know what they principally are?"
swell, no." said Parker, cautiously
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