The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-09-05
CHINESE DOCTORS,
Their Weird Ideas About Disease
and Its Remedies.
PUNCH HOLES IN PATIENTS


Eight Different Styles of Needles,
Some Two Feet Long, and the Big
GER the Punch the Greater the Doctor.
The bigger the needle with which Il
Chinese doctor punctures his patient
the higher the charge. for the bigger
the needle the more distinguished is
the physician. Ii the doctor wears a
straw hat. that signifies he is prosper
Gus doctor and his charge is Il little
more. If he comes in a sedan. the pa
tient must pay for the chair.
DR.. Franz Otto Koch, writing in the
Popular Science Monthly, gives a de-
scription Of the Chinese physician and
how he practices.
"The native Chinese doctor is a curl.
osity. writes DR.. Koch. He passes
no examination: be requires no qualif-
cations: he may have failed in business
and set up as physician. IN his new
profession he requires little stock in
trade. medical instruments being al
most unknown.
"Acupuncture. as it is called, is one
of the nine branches recognized in
medical science among the Chinese.
It is Of most ancient origin. having
been in use from time immemorial.
There are 537 markings to be learned.
Every square inch on the human sur
face has its own name. and some rela-
ton to the internal parts. purely imagl-
nary, is assigned to it. The user is
cautioned against wounding the ar
teries; hence he must know the posi-
ton of the blood vessels. By close
study Of a manikin pierced with holes
the Chinese physician learns where to
drive his needles. Parts Of the body
are selected which may be pierced
without fatal results. Sometimes heat
is applied to the outer end Of the
needle, and this is called hot acu;
puncture. but the needle Is never heat
ed before insertion.
1.-THE needle used looks very much
like a sewing machine needle, but 1t Is
longer and coarser. Some Of the Chi
nese doctors have needles two feet
long and are supposed by ardent ad-
mirers to be able to drive these in
struments entirely through the pa
tents body. The great size Of the
needles is in reality intended to rep
resent the greatness Of the owners
skill and reputation. The needles
used are of eight forms. as follows:
The arrowhead. blunt puncturing.
spear pointed, fus;form. round. capil-
larry. long and thick. The point Of in
sertion. the depth and direction are all
important. The method is usually to
drive the needle through the distended
skin by a blow from light mallet.
"If he can get an old book Of pre-
scriptions from a retiring practitioner
so much the better for the Chinese
doctor. He is now equipped to kill or
cure, as chance or his ignorance may
dictate. The Doctor most entitled to
confidence in the sight Of his country
men is the man whose father has been
a doctor before him. Confidence in
him knows no bounds should his
grandfather have followed the same
calling. This is not mere fatuous be
lief in heredity. but is based on the
supposed value Of old prescription
books passed -on from grandfather to
grandson.
"Fees vary according to the physi-
clans social class and that Of his pa
tents and also according to the physi-
clans place of residence. The enor-
nous sum of perhaps 10 American
cents Or half dollar at the most may
be charged for n visit if the doctor
comes in sedan chair Of this
amount large proportion goes for the
chair. Should the doctor belong to the
humber ranks and come on foot his
fee is proportionately less. He as
sumes solemn air and owl-lfke look
as he peers out of the semidarkness Of
a Chinese bedroom through great Cog
gle shaped glasSes-two inches across
and set in huge uncouth copper frame
Most important in diagnosing case.
according to Chinese ideas. is the feel
ing Of the different pulses Of the hu-
man system. The pulse at each wrist
is felt BY thus feeling the pulses the
states of a dozen real or imaginary Or
gans are determined Having thus
learned by the pressure at these pulses
the seat of the disease. few questions
may be asked. but these are considered
scarcely necessary. A prescription
sometimes calling for the most horrible
and nauseatine compounds is prepared
in large doses. for the native believes
that the larger the dose the more likely
it is to prove efficaciouS. In prescrib-
ing for natives the foreign doctors
have to give the stricteSt injunctionS
that the paper box III which the pills
are contained is NOT to be swallowed.
''The manner in which the Chinese
treat their physicians is characteristic.
Should a speedy cure not result from
the doctors treatment the patient calls
l. h.