The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-05
CHINESE MEDICAL PRACTICES


soochow, China. March 14.-Tnere is
probably a great deal that is of real
value i'm the Chinese medicines If they
we're only carefully studied out, q
now the practice of the,profession is SO
full of superstition and ignorance thar
We are inclined to ridieule it as q
whole.
The Chinese physician is lot called
in to take charge of a case until his pa
tent covers he is called TO make
simply enc visit and often several ply
sicians may be called in, all disagree
ing in the diagnosis of the case. The
morning is usually spent in their offices
where the poorer patients cali and GET
cheaper treatment; the afternoon is de-
voted to paying out calls for which the
fee is from 81 to $3, plus the chair
coolies hire.
There is another class who peddie
their wares from house to house n
when called in and asked as to charges
in case they are employed, they COM
nlent at very great length upon the
idea of any man refusing to help the
sick when it is in his power; they de
clare that they want nothing for their
services: so the animated accept ana
before they realize it they have used
his medicine and he charges dearly Tor
that. After having used the medicine
there is no refusing to pay for it.
The life of the doctor is rather un-
certain, however, as the following
clippings shows:
'One of the methods of punishment
inflicted upon an unfortunate physl-
clan, who has mistaken his prOgnOsis,
SO that instead of the promised recOv-
cry the patient has entered the region
of the great unknown is, to say the
least, unnerving to the one on whom it
is practiced. \ messenger again seeks
the doctor. and with honeyed words
and smiling cOuntenance says, Your
prOgnOsis was correct; come and see
for yourself how well she is And all
unconscious of the horror before him
he goes and is led upstairs to the pa
TENTS room the curtain drawn, and he
confrOntS his mistake. Only a few
weeks ago this happened. and when
the terrified physician would have fed,
behold the steps were drawn and he
vas Il prisoner; freed only when he
had written for the family of the de-
ceased a cheque for It's. 300. They say
this happens frequently and | feel
quite sui that it is because Of such
cases as these that the custom has
been established of making the worst
possible prOgnOsis, whereby nothing is
lost if the patient dies. and everything
gained if she lives-face saved and
reputation earned. 1t is only one
among many of the tricks of the trade,
the outcome of the fear which the prac-
titioners have of their WI people"
Their prescriptions for various dis
eases are quite amusing. | add a lot
which | have collected from several
sources.
Malaria: During the sleep of ex-
haustiOn which follows a chill a cure is
effected if Il parent or relative will slip
quietly up to an unlocked box or door
II suddenly lock it, thus the evil
spirit is locked within and the patient
saved.
Cause of hydrophobia: To prevent
hunger at the beginning of Information,
all snakes fill their mouths with a pei
let Of mud, which is elected when the
winter is over: if by chance this dainty
morsel is swallowed by a dog, hydro
phObia results.
HemmOrrhage: The blood of a white
duck killed at the patients bedside and
drunk hot will cure any h~emmorrhage.
To extract a tooth: Cook well the
hnnnS of a rot n11Iy-o,izn o,l a,~1r 70
the tooth. If it is f~oreOrdained that
the tooth is to come out this will bring
it: if not it will become more firmly
fixed than ever. This was the favOrite
prescription Of the great celebrity. Mo
Bette, who was at one time physician
to the emperor, and who lately died at
his home in SOOchow. Another popu-
lar remedy is to remove the entrails of
a fish, fill the abdominal cavity with
~arsenical acid, hang in a cool place and
wait for the fins to turn white: then
scrape from the fins the small white
cXcrescences, dry, ~pulverise, mix with
aromatic powder, make a paste and
apply to tooth. This ensures a pain.
less and speedy delivery of the tooth.
How to diagnose anthrax: Have
your patient eat a raw yellow bean; if
the disease is anthrax it will taste as
if we'll cooked; if it is not anthrax, the
taste will be that of the raw yellow
bean.
Cholera: Over the umbilieus place a
pIash composed Of musk, birthstone,
red Iodide OF mercury, pulverized liu-
lipedis, the secrelia from the skin of
a toad's head, dried rhinoceros' stom-
ach, heated, dried and pulverized. An
other remedy is the chewing up Of
cash, of which you have all heard, and
which | have seen. 1t said that a fairy
gave this remedy to a Taoist priest;
and it is wonderful both as to their
ability to masticate the cash and the
results.
The following is a prescription for
an advanced case of facial osteo sar-
cana. The writer Wang Zing-kyah is a
physician of hign repute: The pa
tient is troubled with heat and phlegm.
The Eeat causes urofuse xpectoration.