The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-16
some OF THE Methods
OF Chinese DOCTORS
In China They Charge Their
Patrons for Keeping
Them Well.
PECULIAR MEDICINES.
InAmerica They Have Learn
ed Some Occidental
Ways.
PECULIAR MEDICINES.

| ANNNAASis Oh lSSlGu III 1SOS 61llSClCSg
charged with practicing without Ii
| ccnse. An analysis, or examination, of
the herbs and other materials used by
them as medicines, was almost enough
make one seasick This disclosure
will no doubt be comforting to the
numerous white patients of the oriental
physickers. 1t perhaps would have been
better for them to have borne the ills
| they had rather than to rush to the
herb doctor and take dose, consist
ing of dogs gall, hoof Of white horse,
| pGlverized deerhorn, and the spittle of
striped frog. This is an ordinary pre-
scription for a fever, which is either
Griven out by drastic remedies, or coax
| ed out by what they consider as milder
medicines, Fortunately, the white pa
TENTS do not know what they are talk
ing, else the remedy would perhaps be
more narrowing than the disease, Chin
ESQ patients, however, know what they
are taking, and seem to like 1t, for they
run to doctor at the slightest symp-
! tom. The Chinese doctor does not
know Latin and therefore does not
deceive his patient by writing prescrip-
| items in a dead language. Nor does the
Chinese doctor administer bread pills
VI der a Latinized name, or sweetened
water as a compound" or extract"
The stuff that he prescribes has
strength. and is given in large doses
a. much as the patient can bear There
are nine ingredients in a remedy for
| ccld, and some Of these are also said
to cure other ailments. The doses are
| large, and given with the view of be-
lng effective in case the patient has
some other complaint, also Thus. the
| doctor kills two complaints with one
Dose unless he kills the patient The
| theory is that by pouring in all kinds
Of medicines at the same time, the
channels in the system will conduct
them to different parts of the body,
and thus hit the right spot
The Chinese nateria medica includes
almost every variety of vegetable; an
inal and earthly substances They num-
be. about 1O00--about one remedy for
each disease to which the system is
subject. These are divided as follows.
From metals and stone, 1SS kinds of
medicines are extracted; from grasses
| and vegetables, such as roots, stubs
! leaves, flowers and seeds, $50 kinds.
| from trees, 1870 kinds are found in the
root, bark, trunk, leaves. seeds and
ARE extracted; from animals 81 kinds;
! are extracted; frem animals, 81 kinds
from fowls and birds, "a kinds; from
bugs, worms. shellfish snakes, turtles
end flies, 100 kinds; from fruits 40
| kinds; from vegetables, such ais cab
be ges, turnips and melons, etc, 50
kinds; and medicines are also made
| from wheat, corn and other grains.
| Those who make wry faces at swal-
lowing blue mass or castor oil, may
find some relief in knowing what the
sick Chinaman swallows, in learning
that the medicinal ingredients taken
from the human body include teeth
| filings, blood, beard Of the upper lin
ashes of the bones of the forehead,
dandruff. gall, and other things ad
nauseam. From the animal world are
taken the teeth and horns of the dra-
|
| gall, deers 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
''hSe for like" that is, poison for pois-
on, and thus includes in his practice
almost every element known to Nature.
| His medicine is far-reaching. The treat
ment for fever is rubbing and pinehing
on the neck between the eyes, and on
| the nose, which leaves red spots and
even abraslons. Some internal Ills are
treated by burning 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 ''brave." To endure
such puncturing without wincing is a
test of courage with the Chinese. Pei
| lets of burning wax are attached to
tM end of needless 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 hui
man system is not the same at all
| times. There are so or 60 kinds of heart
| disease, 20 or 30 forms of consumption,
and perhaps 100 kinds of dyspepsia.
| These the doctor claims he can cor
rectly diagnose without asking the pa
tient a question. opium and ginseng
form the basis Of their materia medica,
and they fall back upon these when
they have exhausted every other RENEE
dy. Ginseng is used for chronic illness,
The Los Angeles drug stores in Chin
atown are mostly supplied from the
ginseng farm recently established near
CXnard. In addition to his drugs, the
! Chinese doctor resorts to the exercising
of spirits to drive away diseases. 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 agen-
| cy of demons, or the evil spirit of theil
dead enemies. When the Chinaman has
a pain in the head, below the belt, OF
elsewhere, he burns a paper charm in
front of his house. If that does moi
cure, he prays to the god of health
and if that has no effect he runs fol-
| the doctor.
The Chinese doctor has no knowledge
of anatomy and physiology. He never
disseets the human body nor amputates
a limb. The body must appear entire
in the next life, The bones and other
| nnrts Of Tho h,,,..... Ii ,,-nl IN mali