The Use Of Leeches
And Blisters Is Unknown To Him, And He Regards Mineral Drugs With
Obvious Suspicion.
He has heard of chloroform, but has never seen
it used, and considers that in maternity it must necessarily be
fatal either to mother or child.
He asked me (and I have twice
before been asked the same question) whether it is not by its use
that we endeavour to keep down our redundant population! He has
great faith in ginseng, and in rhinoceros horn, and in the powdered
liver of some animal, which, from the description, I understood to
be a tiger - all specifics of the Chinese school of medicines. Dr.
Nosoki showed me a small box of "unicorn's" horn, which he said was
worth more than its weight in gold! As my arm improved
coincidently with the application of his lotion, I am bound to give
him the credit of the cure.
I invited him to dinner, and two tables were produced covered with
different dishes, of which he ate heartily, showing most singular
dexterity with his chopsticks in removing the flesh of small, bony
fish. It is proper to show appreciation of a repast by noisy
gulpings, and much gurgling and drawing in of the breath.
Etiquette rigidly prescribes these performances, which are most
distressing to a European, and my guest nearly upset my gravity by
them.
The host and the kocho, or chief man of the village, paid me a
formal visit in the evening, and Ito, en grande tenue, exerted
himself immensely on the occasion.
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