Treatment by a Chinese Doctor.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 52

Treatment by a Chinese Doctor.

"When I was acting American Consul at Amoy, China," said Mr W-. E* F*les, •' one of my employees fell eick with a severe attack of rheumatism. He stood the pain bravely for three days, refusing all 'foreign devil medicine,' and on the fourth sent fov a- native physician. The lattsr duly arrived, and began preparations for treatment of the malady, which he announced to be due to the- presence of a 'darting snake' in the sufferer's body. Inceute-stioks were lighted and placed just outside the door, and also in the room. A pack of fire-orackers was set off, and a talittnanic paper pasted to the wall. This was done to drive away evil spirits and attract good oneßi The doctor next' wrote a lot of characters on a thick piece of paper with a vermilion pencil, and set fire to it. It burned into a black asb, which was broken into a cup of water, and drunk by the patient. A great bowl of herb tea was made, of which a cup an hour was the allotted dose. The son of iEsculapius next bared the body of my servant, and drove deep down into it at cine points a long needle moistened with peppermint. He- did it with such skill in avoiding* large blood-vessels that the hemorrhage wai insignificant. He then covered each acupunoture with a brownish paste, and this, in turn, with a piece of dark paper. He then collected his. fee, 50e, and* departed. The sufferer soon fell into a sleep, and the next day announced that his pains had departed. He remained in his bunk- two more days, laughing, chatting, smoking cigarettes, and once or twico using the opium pipe, and then reported as being well. He left the paste and paper in place until they fell off. The skin was smooth, and the scar hardly perceptible. He took his recovery a3 a matter of course, his only comment being that the darting snake was thoroughly dead.""