The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-18

CHANGES IN CHINESE
MEDICINE.
(The Lancet.)

(The Lancet.)
Chinese medicine may he regarded
TO some eXten< as 4 survival of the
Dark Ages. much Of it being based
upon a belief that all diseases are due
TO supernatural causes and are mainly
occasioned by offended evil spirits
which the native practitioner seeks 10
prop1tiate or drive off by charms. in
carnations or other devices.
Even at the present day in some To-
calities the natives may still be found
burning large quantities of gold and
silver paper along with incense in the
hope Of averting. for example, a
threatened invasion of their homes by
cholera, plague. or smallpox; or firing
guns and beating gongs or cymbals in
order to brighten away the malignant
spirits likely to give rise TO mischief.
When the native practitioner at
tenpts to treat disease with medicinal
remedies these are often derived from
strange sources and sometimes they
ar" even of a disgusting description.
Hitherto great difficulties have been
encountered by Europeans when try
ing 10 obtain trustworthy information
regarding the incidence of disease and
mortality in different parts of China.
there being no arrangements for the
c~ertification and registration of the
causes of ceath. The only way. we
understand, in which any undue NOR
tally in a locality can be estimated is
by ascertaining from the local under
takers how many collins they have
sold within a given period and COM
pairing hat with the number vended
In normal times.
But this method may be found far
from accurate. since it is known that
the Jealous coffinmaker upon occasion,
fearing that his craft is in danger,
purposely falsifies his figures in order
TO mislead the foreigner. Fpidemics
OF dangerous infectious diseases have
not IN the past been without injury to
countries having close commercial re-
lations 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 influenza and
plague which have so recently swept
over the whole world. starting in Cen
trail China and travelling from east to
west. 1t need hardly be added that
notification of communicable diseases
and public provision for their isola-
ton are entirely lacking in China;
proper sanitary administration by To-
cal or central authorities has vet to be
esta blished. Sometimes The first init
nation that the foreigner in China re-
celVes of n presence Of epidemic
smallpox in his locality is by meeting
convalescents in the streets with the
marks Of their recent illness still Wis
ible upon their faces.
But there are indications at the
present moment that sweeping
changes are about to lake place, and
the great awakening of the Chinese
nation now in process is likely to be
Followed by marked improvement in
the medical treatment Of the sick as
we'll as In the prevention of disease
generally. The educated Chinese are
fully aware Of the great superiority Of
western medical and surgical methods
and during the recent revolutionary
riots some Of the lower classes had
also occasion to view very favorably
the surgical assistance given to them
BY the foreign medical men.
The number of qualified medical
n In China with European or AM
erican training Is on the increase. Sew
eral medical schools with foreign pro-
fessors have been set up in various
places for the purpose of educating
suitable natives In the science and
practice Of modern medicine and
surgery.