Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-25
CHANGES IN CHINESE MEDICINE
Western Methods Doing Away With
Superstition.

From the London Lancet.
Chinese medicine may be regarded to
some extent rs a survival Of the dark
ages. much of it being based upon q be-
lief that all diseases are due to super
natural causes and are mainly occasioned
by offended evil spirits which the native
practitioner seeks to propitate or drive
off by charms, lamentations or other de-
vices.
Even at the present day in some locali-
ties the natives may still! be found burn
ing large quantities Of gold and silver
paper along with incense in the hope OF
averting. for example, q threatened In.
vasion Of their homes by cholera. plague
or smallpox: or firing guns and beating
gongs cymbals in order to frighten
away the malignant spirits likely to give
rise to mischief.
When the native practitioner attempts
to treat disease with medicinal remedies
these are often derived from strange
sources and sometimes they are even Of
a disgusting description. Hitherto sreat
difficulties have been encountered by
Europeans when trying to obtain trust
worthy information regarding the incl
dence OF disease and mortality In dihef-
emit parts Of China. there being no ar
rangements for the certfhcation and reg
istration OF the causes Of death. The
only way, we understand. In which any
undue mortality In a locality can be esti-
mated is by ascertafning from the local
undertakes how many cofffns they have
sold within q given period and comparing
that with the number vended In normal
times.
But this method may be found far from
accurate. since II IL known that the JeAl-
Gus cofflnmaker upon occasion. fearing
falsffies his figures In order to instead
the foreigner. Epidenaics Of dangerous
infectious diseases have not In the past
been without injury to countries havins
close commercial relations with China, to
which country also the origin Of some
pandemics has been traced.
AS instances Of this We may cite the
two great pandemics OF fnhuensa and
the whole world. starting In central China
and travelling from east to west. It need
hardly be added that notification Of COM
municable diseases and public provision
for their isolation are entirely lacking In
China: proper sanitary administration by
local or central authorities has yet 70 Be
established. Sometimes the first intinas
ton that the foreigner In China receives
Of the presence Of epidemic smallpox IN
his locality 10 by meeting convalescents
in the streets with the marks Of their re-
cent Illness still visible upon their faces
But there are indications at the present
moment that sweeping changes are about
to take place. and the great awakening
Of the Chinese nation now in process is
likely to be followed by marked improve
ments in the medical treatment Of the
sick as well as in the prevention of dis
ease generally. The educated Chinese are
western medical and surgical methods.
and during the recent revolutionary riots
some of the lower classes had also oeca-
sion to view very favorably the surgical
assistance given to them by the foreign
medical men.
The number Of qualified medical men in
China with European or American train
ing IL on the increase. Several medical
schools with foreign professors have been
set up In various places for the purpose
Of educating suitable natives in the SCI
ence and practice OF modern medicine
and surgery.