The times., 1899-05-14
cH1NA's LEADING PHYSICIAN.
Chen Lien Fnng's Attendance on the
Emperor mt Pekin.

Emperor ut Pekin.
Shanghai Correspondents London Times)
Chen Lien Fang. the most celebrated ma
tive physician in China. returning to his
home in this province from attendance on
the Emperor at Pekin, did the honor of
calling on me some days ago. A brief ac-
count of his experiences at the capital may
not be without interest TO readers in Eng
land.
When the edict was issued calling upon
the provincial Vicercys and governors to
send native doctors of distinction to Pc
kin to advise in regard to the Emperors $
illness Chen Lien Fang received orders
from the governor of Su-Chau to leave for
the north without delay. This in ITSELF
| apart from the uncongenial and unremu-
| nerative nature of the duty (of which
Chen was we'll aware), was no light under
taking for man of delicate physique
| whose age is over three score years and
| ten; but there was no possibility of evad-
| ing the task He accordingly left his large
practice in the charge of two confidential
assistants, or pupils. and. having received
| from the governor n sum OF 5000 taels for
| travelling expenses and remuneration In ad-
vance, made his way to Pekin and reported
for duty to the grand council.
When he arrived there he found three
| other native physicians of considerable re-
pute already in attendance, summoned in
obedience to the imperial commands. DR..
Detteve. OF the French legation. had al
ready paid his historical visit to the En-
peror, and his remarkable diagnosis of the
Son of Heavens symptoms was still afford
ing amusement to the legations. The aged
native physician spoke in terms of un-
disguised contempt, both of the French
doctors comments on the case and of his
suggestions for its treatment. His own
description OF the Emperor's malady was
couched in language not unlike that many
writers OF historical novels attribute TO
| the physicians of Europe IN the Middle
Ages: ne spoke reverently of influences and
vapors at work In the august person of his
sovereign. learnedly of heat -fiushings and
their occult causes. and plainly of things
which are more suited to Chinese readers
than those of the Times"
| Nevertheless, his description pointed
clearly to disease of the respiratory organs
| which he said had existed for over twelve
years-to general debility, and to fever
ish condition which he ascribed to mental
anxiety combined with physical weakness.
Before he left Pekin (about the middle OF
| Noyember) the fever had abated, and the
patients symptoms had decidedly improv-
ed: the case. was, however. in his opinion,
| OF SO serious nature that he decided to
leave it, if possible. in the hands OF his
younger conferees-an object which By dint
OF bribing certain court officials he eyen-
tually achieved. Asked if he considered
| the Emperor's condition critical, he re-
piled, oracularly, that il he lived to see
| the Chinese New Year his strength would
| thereafter return gradually with the spring
and the complete restoration of his health
might bo expected.
| Some few days after his arrival in Pekin
Chen was summoned to audience By orders
conveyed through member of the grand
council; the Emperor and the DowageT
Empress were awaiting his visit in a hall
on the south side of the palace. The con-
sultaticn was curiously indicative of the
divinity which hedges about the ruler OF
the Middle Kingdom; suggestive, too oi
the soiidity OF that conservatism which
dictates the inner policy of China. Chen
entered the presence OF his sovereign on
his knees, crossing the apartment in that
position, after the customary kowtows
The Emperor and the Dowager Empress
were seated at opposite sides of low table
on the dais (or stoye-bed) and faced each
other in that position during the greater
part of the interview.
The Emperor appeared pale and listless
had troublesome irritation OF the throat
and was evidently feverish. the thin ova
of his face. clearly defined features anC
aquiline nose gave him, in the physician
eyes Ito use his own words). the appear
ance OF foreigner. The Empress, VIII,
struck him as an extremely wsll-preserve,
and intelligent-looking woman, seemed t.
be extremely solicitous as to the patient
health, and careful for his comfort. AS /
would have been a serious breach of eti
quette for the physician to ask any ques
tions Of His Majesty, the Empress proceed
ed to describe his symptoms. the inyali,
occasionally signifying confirmation o
what was said by word or a nod. Durini
this monologue the physician. following
the customary procedure at imperial audi
ences, kept his gaze concentrated upon tn
floor until, at the command of the En-
press. and still kneeling, he was permit
ted to place one hand upon the Emperor
wrist. There was no feeling of the pulse
simply contact with the fat of the hand
{ first to one side OF the wrist, and then u
the other. This done. the Empress con
tinued her narrative of the patients SUI
ferings; she described the state of hi
tongue and the symptoms OF liberation
,, the mouth and throat, but as it was nc
permissible for the doctor to examine thes
t he was obliged to make the best of
h somewhat unprofessionai description. A
he wisely observed, it is difficult to loo
at patients tongue when his exalted ran
compels you to keep your eyes fixed rigid
ly on the floor
The Empress having concluded her re
5 marks on the case Chen was permitted |
$ withdraw and to present to the Gran
d Council his diagnosis, together with adviC
: as to future treatment. which was subst
;. quently communicated officially to Il
Throne. The gist of his advice was to pr,
!. scribe certain tonics OF the orthodox n;
S tive type and to suggest the greatest po.
sible amount of mental and physical res
d In reply to my inquiries as to the En-
u peror's diet Chen observed that it woul
!; Of course. be highly beneficial were he gil
en- moderate amount of meat food; thi
however, he could not have suggeste
= since it was contrary to the Confucan dot
trine. He had been given to understaI
by one of the court officials that the En-
!, peror's daily fare consisted almost entire
of rice. seasoned with the usual cond
V ments, but there was no way in which /
l. could have obtained reliable informatiC
on this point. and any direct inquiries du
:, ing the audience were naturally out of Il
:, question. Certain of the patients SYM
: toms were such as to preclude the admin
tration Of the tonic most usually prescri
ed for anaemic subjects-a deeoction
, ginseng
nj Summing up the results of his audien
Chen observed that under the conditio
attendant on prescribing for Chin sc En-
: peror one doctor was Just as good as al
e other, and that the fate of the patfe
must necessarily be matter entirely in Z
a hands OF Providence. He thought that Il
p Emperor was receiving all possible ca
and attention, but that the restraints al
,s limitations imposed by court etiquette pr
A vented much being done which might otl
pe erwise assist in the restoration of
er health.
few days after the first consultation
D il the word can be used in such a case
Chen was again summoned to audience. I
IS observed a marked reduction of temper