The evening times., 1900-09-19
New York Cotton Market.
CHINESE MEDICAL PRACTICE.
Patients Stabbed and Prodded TO Let
out EyI Spirits.
Urom the New Orleans Times -Democr

tFrnm the New Orleans Times Dcmocrat.)
Dr. johnson, a we'll known medical mis-
sionary who was in New Orleans just be
fore the attack on the Tientsin settle
ments, told some curious and interesting
things about practice among the Chinese.
They are very trying patients ne said
in conversation at the Cosmopolitan Hotel,
and make a strong demand OF any doc
tors Christian foTbearance. To begin with.
20 Chinaman can he trusted to tell the
truth about the history of his case; he
simply will not follow directions and. if
possible, he VIII upset the treatment by
eating all sorts of Outlandish things on the
sly-such delicacieS as green peanuts,
picked pigs stomach. decayed fish rOes
raw turnips. and Chinese pears. which are
hard a rock and about as nutritious as
saWdust. Our mission hospitals made the
mistake at the outset Of treating every
body gratuitously, and the consequence
was that they were overrun with people
who were amply able TO pay and who had
40 sympathy whatever with the cause
There was absolutely no sense in giving
away cur time and medicine to such q
class. and at present the mission hospitals
have a fixed schedule OF charges, ranging
from cash OF about a quarter of a cent.
for qutDine powder, 10 2,0GG cash for a
minor surgical case.
The bona tide paupers, of course. are
treated free One CT the large hospitals
al Chefoo tried the experiment of post
ing notice that patients would be ex-
pected to deposit whatever they were able
to give in box fastened to the front
gate. and charitable German visitor
started the thing off by putting in So
During the first month over goo cases
were treated. indoors in clinic and the
box was then opened. 1t was as empty
as drum Even the 60 had disappeared
After that the fee system was introduced
The missionary doctors are occasionally
called in by the wealthy classes and
generally charge good round fee for
such service. l was sent for last spring
to prescribe for the mother of rich mag
istTate, and was informed that I would
have to feel her pulse by means of a
silk cord extending out from the bedroom
went through the solemn farce and
charged $40 for style. Subsequently /
saw my patient face to face
"A good deal that has been written
about the strange methods of the native
practitioners is all moonshine" continued
DR. johnson, but the truth is singular
enough. without any establishment. The
first task of Chinese medical student
upon entering the Imperial College at
Shanghai is to learn the 500 life spots in
in the human body. A life spot is sun
posed TO be place through which a
HttQIe HAY De passed WITHOUT causing
death. The Chinese believe firmly in de-
moLlacal possession, and their doctors
do a good deal of stabbng and prodding
TO make holes for the purpose of letting
cut the evil spirits that are causing the
sickness. l was called to see one poor
fellow who was dying of jaundice, and
counted over eighty punctures in his
chest and arms. The Chinese practition-
ers had furnished the demon with plenty
of exits but he declined to depart. When
a criminal is executed the native doctors
are nearly always on hand to secure Sec
tions of the body TO use in compounding
| their medicines.
"A powder made of the thigh bones is
believed to be a specific for the disease
| known to science as miners anemia.'
| which is caused by parasite and easily
| controlled by proper remedies Sore ewes.
due to chronic cold. or catarrhal opthaI
mia,' as it Is called technically, is a yerv
| common rnalady in China. and is treated
| with an astonishing prescription composed
! of powdered sandal wood the skin of eggs
| and an oil made by boiling monkeys toes
| l could go on by the hour, recalling other
| preparations equally fantastic There is
absolutely nothing approaching system in
| Chinese medicine. II is based wholly on
| humhug and mystification and that is tne
| reason why so many strange and outre sub
| stances are employed as remedies The
| idea is to awe the patient. 1t is an anus