The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-11
CHINESE M. DIS.
ANY MAN CAN PRACTICE MEDI.
CINE IN CHINA.


Chinese medical men are not compeheu
to pursue any particular course of study
and are not able to obtain any university
degree. Consequently doctors have no
great social standing. Medicine may be
practiced by any one. 1t IL only neces-
sary to hang out ones name az nj
sician. This seems easy enough. but doc
tors are liable to a heavy, penalty In the
event Of the death OF a patient
Chinese materia redica Is extensive and
nonscnsical in the extreme. The native
doctors have acquired an empirical knowi-
edge Of the action Of certain remedies
notably Of several purgatfves and ano-
dynes; but with no certain method of
diagnosis their use OF these remedies Is
A Chinese doctor feels the pulse in
both wrists He places three fingers OF
his right hand over the radial artery OF
first one arm and then the other. In the
first arm he says he can tell by the first
finger the condition of the spleen, which
is very important. The second finger
tells him the condition of the lungs and
the third the condition OF the liver. On
the other arm he detects In ike manner
the diseases Of the heart, kidney and
stomach. He leaves the brain. the art
cry. the venous and nervous systems en-
tireiy out of consideration, as his books
do not tell him anything about such sys-
an indication Of the locality OF the dis
ease. 1t Ii not at all uncommon for wo-
men patients to thrust out an arm from
the curtained bed that the physician may
that basis alone. IL the patient RECEIVERS
the doctor Is credited with the cure; IT.
the patient dies he Is accused OF murder.
Remedies must produce immediate favor
able results or the doctor Is dismissed
and a new one employed. / know OF
eleven doctors being sent for in one day.
The patient In this case pulled through
after taking eleven doses, the last doc
tor, Of course. getting the credit for the
cure.
Several years ago I was called to see
the little six months old 81 andson OF the
Governor of Pekin. The child was in
commissions from having eaten guam
tity Of indigestible material when It had
only two or three teeth. Each one OF
number of Chinese doctors had poured
down the infants throat, without effect,
some decoction Of nastiness. the last dose
of which was powdered scorpions tails.
by means of chloroform, u hot bath. ice
to the head and other remedies. ! man.
aged to bring the infant around, much
to the joy OF his grandfather. II the
child had DIED would have e 9een 1ismed
TO use ics. remedy that the Chinese
doctors not only do not use, bat con-
denim as the cause OF many fatal III
nesses.
The native physicians are great heliey.
ers in tbs efficacy OF cuuntcr-irritat'on,
which they use In the form, " tntimoniai
and arsenical plaste-s. often creating In
ulcers, generally both painful
and useless Their fees are exceedingly
small the usual RATE in Pe<ln being about
30 Mexican cents us cenis) but they fre-
quently make up for this by providing the
for which they charge in propoa-
ton to the wealth and, creduiity Of the
patient One patient of mine paid his
native doctor 80 cents for Ills visit and
$40 for the velvety fur from a young
deers horn, which he prescribe as med
icine.
II the patient RECEIVERS he often has a
memorial tablet Of heavy wood carved
in characters setting forth the disease
from which he suffered and OF which he
was marveiously cured by DR.. Wong. or
any other, doctor. This tablet Is hung on
the wall outside of the doctors residence
and Is a lasting testimonial and useful
to his ability or more
often good luck. Some doctors have a
dozen or more of these large wooden tes-
house which ] often pass, has boards
reading thus: Ills hand touched. and
life returned" Another, In ,diphtheria
great" stiil another. Due to him live
again" One day in passing this place
In a cart with Chinese friend. pointed
TO the numerous boards and said: That
must he one OF your great doctors. judg-
he has cured" He returned my COM
panion with scorn. "He had every one OF
those boards made himself. The people
he Is supposed to have cured never ex-
sted.''
Some doctors have recipes that were |
handed down 10 them by their ancestors |
and keep them in their family. telling only |
one member In each generation how the |
nostrum Is prepared Some of these for
nnulas have great local reputation but |
they are never widely known Since the |
Introduction of vaccination by medical |
the former terrible ravages |
Of smallpox have been very much abated: |
but when they cannot get vaccine matter /
they will vaccinate with condensed milk, |
believing that the milk of the COW ought |
to be as good as the serum especially |
az its inocculation often produces a sore,
due doubtless to germs OF pus-produc-
ing character introduced through the /
abradei surface. Tuberculosis and blood |
diseases are often spread by means OF /
careless uncleanly vaccination; but not
all the uncleanliness and \
the unscientific methods smallpox has de- |
creased enormously within the last thirty |
years and vaccination Is thoroughly be- |
lieved in everywhere.
Western medicine and Western meth
DDS OF treatment of disease are steadily |
Increasing In popularity. They have been |
by medical missionaries In all |
Of the larger cities through free dispen- |
saries and hospitals. The natives In this |
way have acquired some faith in foreign |
drugs. Many Of the purely native drug |
stores are now selling certain sampl es |
That the masses can use without danger, |
such as SIENNA. EPSON salts and vase |
line. In Shanghai. Hong Kong Tientsin |
and Peldn are native drug stores where |
only western drugs are sold and whore
2 more or less full stock is carried Thu
late Id Hung Chang was one of the first |
converts to belief in the superiority OF
medicine
In the latter mart az Anr,l ali ro.a. i..d a.