The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-17

from wheat, corn and other grains
1nose VINO make wry faces at swal-
lowing blue mass or castor oil NAV. find
some relief in knowing what the sick
| Cnlnaman swallows in learning that the
| meolclnal ingredients taken from the
| blood, beard of the upper lip. ashes OF
| the bones of the forehead, dandruff
! gan and other things ad nauseam.
FROM the animal world are taken
| the teeth and horns of the dragon
musk of the musk deer, bears gall
deer's glue, sleeps milk, glue made
from black mules hide, rams horns
| mares milk, hoof of a white horse,
horns. kidneys and gall, deer's horn
pulverized, and the bones, eyes and
claws of the tiger. The skull, heart,
brains. teeth and blood of the dog are
used-almost everything except his
bark.
The Chinese doctor believes in giving
like for like that is, poison for
poison, and thus includes in his prac-
tice almost every element known to
nature. His medicine is far-reaching.
The treatment for fever is rubbing
and pinching on the neck. between
the eyes and on the nose, which
| leaves red spots and even abrasions.
Some internal ills are treated by burn
ing the flower of the amaranthus
over the afflicted part. Cauteries
and caustics are much used, also
the puncturing needle. Heated iron
needles are thrust into the skin where
the pain seems to be most acute, and
this sets the patient to bowling unless
he is very 1braVe." To endure such
puncturing without wincing is a test
of courage with the Chinese. Pellets
of burning wax are attached to the
end of needles so as to keep up the
red-hOt temperature.
Different medicines are prescribed
on different days for the same ailment
This is due to the belief that the hu-
man system is not the same at all
times. There are so or 60 kinds of
heart disease, 20 or 80 forms of con-
sumption, and perhaps 100 kinds of
dyspepsia. These the doctor claims he
can correctly diagnose without asking
the patient a question. Opium and
ginseng form the basis of their
upon these when they have exhausted
every other remedy. Ginseng is used
for chronic illness. The Los Angeles
drug stores in Chinatown are mostly
supplied from the ginseng farm re-
certify established near Oxnard.
In addition to his drugs the Chinese
doctor resorts to the exercising of
spirits to drive away disease. He is
supposed to possess this power, and
that goes with the prescription and
the bill. Chinese believe that all dis
eases are brought on through the
agency of demons or the evil spirits of
their dead enemies. When the China
man has pain in the head, below the
belt, or elsewhere, he burns a paper
charm in front of his house. If that
does not cure, he prays to the god of
health, and if that has no effect he
runs for the doctor.
The Chinese doctor has no knowl-
edge of anatomy and physiology He
never dissects the human body, nor
amputates limb. The body must ap-
pear entire in the next life. The
bones and other parts of the human
b 0dy used in medicines are taken
from the bodies of executed criminals.
Broken limbs are banda ed and poul-
ticed: the rest is left to nature, which,
in most cases. is wise. Nor does the
Chinese doctor understand the circu-
Iation of the blood. He makes no dis
tinction between venous and arterial
blood. He is specialist" believing
that it is better to understand one
thing thoroughly than to know a little
of everything. Therefore. he divides
diseases into two kinds-external and
internal. If he understands the in
side of a patient he does not con-
si1er it unprofessional for another
doctor to be called in if symptoms de-
velop on the patients outside" Thus,
it often happens that two doctors are
in attendance-one pouring medicine
into the sick man, and the other plas-
taring, poulticing sticking red-hot
needles into his outside.
The Learned doctor" who wears red
button on his silken cap as badge of
his rank spends many years in studying
the nature of diseases, the properties of
herbs, mineral and animal
and their effects upon the
system. He also studies the probable in
huence of evil spirits and the medicines
most likely to counteract their influence
or drive them out of the patient.
In China in cases where the doctor is
employed by the year his salary stops
when any of the family becomes ILL., He
is paid only for keening them in good
health. Our local Chinese doctors. how
ever have adopted the western civil
ized'' plan of bleeding the patient
while he is down. The Chinese drug
store does not have the sign of the big
blue and red jars in the window. Nor
is there an array of Latin-la beled bot
ties on the shelves. Herbs and par
ticles of animals are seen in the window
as an attractive sign, but the medicines
are kept in drawers and in red paper