NEWS FROM AN OLD FRIEND. -FATHER NIVARD AND THE CHINESE DOCTORS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2073, 17 June 1875, Page 3

NEWS FROM AN OLD FRIEND. -FATHER NIVARD AND THE CHINESE DOCTORS.

The following interesting letter from Father Nivard, addressed to Mrs Gillies and family, Pollen-street, has been handed to us for publication. The many friends of Father Nivard at the Thame's will be glad to hear of his recovery from a serious illness

" I am glad to leavn that you were all in good health, and I hope you are still. Poor Father Norris has gone to eternity in the flower of his manhood, but I trust in God he was ripe for tho reward of the saints. I never forget him in tho Holy Sacrifice, because I liked him, I am sorry to learn that tho Thames was dull at the timo you wrote; I hope it is brisk again; and I am most sorry to learn tho accident to Mr Maurice Power. I was well acquainted with him, loved him, and I do not forget to pray for him. I am now in good health, but I have been ill for threo months. First, in August I lmd very soro eyes'; and (hen, when tho sight returned, 1 foil very ill of a kind of cholera; they thought I was going to die, and so I thought myself, but it has pleased God to give mo health again, and I thank His mercy for it. I got convalescent towards tho middle of October. Talking of my illness, you would liko, 1 suppose, that I should gay how the Chinese doctors

treated me. Well, they treated me thus: For my sight they made a paste with half vegetable half mineral powder, and put it not on, or around the eyes, but on tho forehead. It is a queer proceeding thought I, but soon forgot the proceeding, and began to think of the paste, which seemed to put a.thousand pins through my head-yet wonderful! It was more than eight days I could neither see, nor sleep,- nor eat, nor rest, so intense was the pain, and after an half an hour I had the said paste on my forehead, tho pain was nearly gone off tho eyes. When the doctors were satisfied as to the effect of their paste, they boiled for about two hours more than twenty different kinds of medical stuffs, and with the broth thereof made me bathe the eyes for two days. Oh, how soothing! how relieving it was! and my sight became pretty good. Ah, I forgot to say that at first they pricked me all over, the face with a needle, when they saw it had no effect, then they decided to try the aforesaid paste. That paste is something very strong. I asked them to tell me what it was made of, but they would not tell; they simply said it is half vegetable half mineral. The manner too in which the Chinese doctors examine their patient is quito the contrary to that troublesome probing and examining followed by Euro-, pean physicians. When they arrived to see what was the matter with my eyes my room was perfectly dark, they did not ask to seo my eyes at all, they sat down near me, began to smoke the very long pipes the Chinese use, and felt my pulse for more than a quarter of an hour, smoking, puffing, feeling in perfect silence. You may imagine my wonderland I wondered more, when taking off their fingers from my arms, for they felt the pulse from the wrist to the elbow, they did not ask to see and look at my eyes, no; but they atonco said, we must prick your face, and then perhaps we shall try a paste. And so they did, and when I felt the effect of the paste, I began to think that Chinese doctors are as clever, if not more clever, than European ones. Besides, I had no choice; here, Europeans there, are none, except another priest and myself.. The same must be said of all the interior of this large Chinese province, the popular tion of which is not loss than thirty millions of inhabitants; there are no Europeans except the Catholic missionaries. In this district there are four priests, two Chinese, and two Europeans, as I said. I must now say how the Chinese doctors treated me during my severe illness which commenced immediately after my sight was recovered. I thought for several days it was merely the effect of the eye disease, and I would not have any doctor, But when it assumed a serious form, two doctors were culled. At first they thought it was nothing dangerous; but day by day it got worse, and lastly they themselves said I should die, yet they would try all they could to save me. So they did, and with a happy succcss. They took a needle and pricked me all over the body; that did not satisfy them, because blood would not come out freely. Then they gave me a beverage which they said was. of' the strongest compound in their pharmacy, but it. had no effect. The next day they felt the pulse again for about twenty minutes, smoked and shook their heads, and finally broke their silence, saying to me, well, are you prepared for the needles between the bowels? Ihad before heard of, I had before seen, the terrible needles, and so I didn't answer, but without my consent they would not put them. I consented atlastj; I; was between life aud death, so that I didn't care '& fig what they did to me. Forthwith, tho eldest doctor, about sixty years of age, got himself ready to plant four needles, inches long, around the navel. He struck them in up to their eyes (the needles' eyes), and I didn't feel anything, in fact I thought lie had not planted them yet. I said, Well, the needles; be quick about them. Oh, they laughed heartily saying, 'no fear, the needles are in, our only hppes is that you will feel them by and by.' I didn't believe, so with my hand I felt if they were there or not; surely they were there all in, and no mistake. I then got in a fearful fright, because I could not feel those needles in my liowels. /las! about a quarter of an hour after I did feel them. After half an hour they were in I began to beg of the doctors to take them out, but they laughed at me, and their laugh was a laugh of joy, because they said I was saved. 1 didn't think so myself. I began to abhor those awful. needles which seemed to corrode and draw out mybowels. Oh! how pitifully I entreated those doctors to take the needles away, '1 hey would not. So I had no remedy but to bear in peace that exquisite torture. After an hour's duration they took them out, and I was glad, I may tell you. Then they put a very large cupping-cup (not a cupping-gla?s as Europeans do, it is too small for Chinese doctors) upon the place where the needles had been, and I was really saved, out of the jaws of death, But, how weak for many days! When our most amiable and saintly bishop Vicar Apostolic came here in October to give confirmation to five hundred persons, many of them converted from paganism, I was just convalescent, and he told me, ' I know you have suffered much for several months, I think this climate does not agree with you, so I shall soon send you to Chefoo, where the climate is better.' He has written since that. At Easter-time I must go to Ohefoo, to be rector of that district; thus, very soon, I shall be again on the sea-shore, This place is sixteen or seventeen, days journey inland, south-west from Chefoo, I have therefore a long journey again boforeme; andthe Chinese roads, although now more free from robbery, than any European road, are infamous roads, full of deep ruts, and quite out of repair. But I go willingly, because the climate of this inland place is really bad, and because I willingly shall obey my Superiors till death. Father Stephen is always in Tsinanfu, the capital of the province, and the ordinary residence of our bishop. Since our arrival in China he got very, stout, and is in perfect good health. I hope you will write a little oftener;.. and if it be not too much trouble to you, I would beg of you to send me some newspapers every month, that I may see how the Thames—which I loved, and still love dearly—gets on. Tell my friends that I novcr yet have forgotten to recommend them to t ; od, in the memento of tho Mass. Salute them all affectionately for me; and as you have got the nuns from Auckland, tell them to pray for me, who always liked them.—With God's blessing upon you all, I am your most loving friend, El Nivabd, 0.5. F."