Evening star., 1954-11-22

writes one of 10000 prescriptions
which down through the CEN
turies have been compounded
from Chinese herbs. He may
even stick needles into a patient
to stimulate nerves far distant
from the source of some disease.
He belongs to an ancient Chi
nese school which authorities
are now trying to dovetail into
modern Western medicine. In
this land Of absurdities nothing
surprises me any more.
A Communist state, China has
no national medical scheme.
There is less state welfare than
In Tory Britain. Any revolu-
tionary government which can
name an official printing shop
THE Studio of Abundant Pros
perity' is behaving with equally
madcap logic when it puts the
local herbalist on every hospital
roster.
Confirms Others Opinions.
He has no decisive say, of
course. If there has been a diff
ficult diagnosis, he bring out his
chart of % different types Of
pulses and lists the patient under
one of them. The pulse classifi-
cations indicate groups of dis
eases and generally the old man
Is wise enough to confirm the
opinions of his more legitimate
brethren.
Here the nurses have a smat-
tering of English, Russian and
Latin because there are still not
enough Chinese textbooks to go
round. What eventually will
emerge from all this Pavlov,
Pasteur and palm-leaf pharmacy
is not yet clear, but am happy
to say my medical diet remains
exclusively Western.
For any one familiar with
Asian makeshifts. this hospital Is
remarkable for efficiency and a
determined attempt to overcome
the peasant habits Of its patients.
1t Is far from luxurious. Most
equipment is old United States
Army stuff from huoscopes to
buckets and beds, and this goes
rather strangely with the stand
ard Communist Chinese cry that
United States medical supplies
to China all disappeared into
United States-run black markets.
BY our standard 1t is not a
peaceful hospital and at Z each
morning the medical students
own music class can be heard
in the square practicing on their
various instruments.
MICS Overhead.
Yet it is a haven of rest after
the normal racket Of Chinese
life. Sometimes when MIG-l5
jets fly high overhead and star
ings chatter in the trees you
can almost forget the clatter of
boots and trolley wheels In the
stone corridors Of the emergency
ward next door.
There are some things during
hospital life you find 1t hard to
ask for in sign language and this
led to curious complications.
Since then I have been be-
friended by nurses and doctors
who remember some of their
early English and it is proving
once again a startling experience
to get away from the official
characters Of Peiping and their
eternal mumbo-jum about
mutual understanding" and
peaceful co-existence."
have no clues on whether the
government dares risk it all over
China, but here, anyway, these
people are far better evidence
that the Chinese are going their
own way. in their own fashion,
than any number of stiff Com
munist spokesmen with their
compexes all abristle.
Little Dissatisfaction.
There is an abundant curiosity
about life beyond Asian borders.
There is also little sign of dis
satisfaction with present condi-
tions, although at different times
different people have stood talk
ing alone with me.
once said few Westerners went
along with the idea one could
not have q revolution without
breaking eggs and the person
lzuu.s.-