The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1903-12-10
CHINESE MEDICINE TEMPLE
A Letter from Or. l. N. Perkins, in
Which he Describes the Method
Of Treating Ailments in
China.

DR.. Luther NJ Perkins, now at
Tacoma, Wash, in a letter written
to be read at the banquet recently
given to DR.. George w. Williams,
tells how the healing art is prac.
ticed in China. which country he
recently visited. 1t may prove in
teresting TO his many friends in
Pennington and the county. 1t will
also he a pleasure to them to learn
that DR.. Perkins ha much i'm
proved in health during the last
year. Foliowingis the letter;
TACOMA, WASH, Nov. II, 1908.
To the Honorcd Guest and the Worthy
Members Of the Profession Assem-
bcd:
Commenting the spirit and enter
prise that have brought about this AS
scmbIy of the profession to do honor
to one most worthy, and regrcttng
that cannot he present with you, |
take the liberty to write few things
that may prove of interest to my pro
fcsslonal brethren.
As regards our guest, cannot say
too much. None know him better than
do, and none appreciate him more.
lie is my ideal physician, Christian
and citizen. | might say more words
OF praise, but knowing his unassumed
modcsty, will leave some Of the
pleasant things for others 10 say,
while | will try to entertain you with
short sketch of how the healing art
is carried on in Canton, China,
Leaving off the details of pleas.
ant trip to that old city, let Us enter
the "Doctor Temple At once This
temple is not remarkable for size,
architecture, or beauty. We passed
through an ornamcnlcd door way into
a dark hall, at the farther end of
which there were II smnll counter, a
few shelves and some boxes and bottles
Just behind, having little appear
ancc Of diminulivc drug store. At
this counter sat the medicine dispcn-
ser. How or when the medicines
were prepared we could not learn.
To our left, some twenty feet away,
in darker part of the hall, was the
Doctor Buddha. lie sits on an elo-
waited scat with several small digni-
taries on either side of him.
Most superior Buddhas have soldier
buddhas, or interiors to carry out their
orders, or assist in the duties The
"Doctor" was not handsome, rs we
count beauty, but he had the profess
sional wise look, and rather full
black beard, so We did not question
his ability; bnt how to consult him
was the next question. This we found
to be very simple. On the counter
was to be found Il vessel shaped very
much like long half-gallon cup
without lip or handle. Into this were
placed quite number Of bamboo
splits about one half inch broad aud
as thick as ordinary pasteboard, On
these were written the diseases and
their appropriate treatments. These
splits are put into this cup and given
to the patient, who, standing in front
Of the "Great Doctor takes the cup
in both hands and brings it up and
down in a quick jcrky fashion, and
after awhile one of the splits will pro.
trude farther than the rest.
This gives the diagnosis Of the case,
and refers him to the man at the coun-
ter for the medicine, who hands out
whatever the number calls for, and
collects the fee, which is about five
cents in our money.
This was interesting, but there was
more to see, so wo followed our guide
into a room to our right. Here we
found two long rows of "Doctors, "
thirty on each side, sitting Chinese
fashion, with their feet under them.
Here simplicity was again excmpliicd.
These Doctors are numbered from one
to sixty ard are consulted by number
according to the age of the patient.
To become patient Of one of these
hcalcrs it was only necessary to take a
tile about foot square and little
more than an inch thick and place it
under tho doctor"
II another patient of the same age
needed treatment, he raises the
"Doctor" little higher and puts uu-
der another tile. Some of these "Doc-
torsr seemed TO be doing a good bus
mess, for they were lifted well up,
while others sat on the bare shelf. We
asked our guide, ''What is n patient
over sixty going to do?" "He can
place block under some OF the large
numbers and then take smaller one
TO make out the required age" For
instance, our honored guest would
call in Doctor Number Sixty and also
Doctor Number Twenty -four, and with
these two looking after his physical
welfcre, feel confident 1t would be
an easy matter for him to live to be
an hundred, aud that Is the wish of
his grateful and ardent admirer,
LUTHER NJ. PERKINS.