Dr. Nosoki Is One Of The Old-Fashioned Practitioners, Whose Medical
Knowledge Has Been Handed Down From Father To Son, And Who Holds
Out, As Probably Most Of His Patients Do, Against European Methods
And Drugs.
A strong prejudice against surgical operations,
specially amputations, exists throughout Japan.
With regard to the
latter, people think that, as they came into the world complete, so
they are bound to go out of it, and in many places a surgeon would
hardly be able to buy at any price the privilege of cutting off an
arm.
Except from books these older men know nothing of the mechanism of
the human body, as dissection is unknown to native science. Dr.
Nosoki told me that he relies mainly on the application of the moxa
and on acupuncture in the treatment of acute diseases, and in
chronic maladies on friction, medicinal baths, certain animal and
vegetable medicines, and certain kinds of food. 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. They were much surprised at my
not smoking, and supposed me to be under a vow! They asked me many
questions about our customs and Government, but frequently reverted
to tobacco.
I. L. B.
LETTER XX
The Effect of a Chicken - Poor Fare - Slow Travelling - Objects of
Interest - Kak'ke - The Fatal Close - A Great Fire - Security of the
Kuras.
SHINGOJI, July 21.
Very early in the morning, after my long talk with the Kocho of
Kanayama, Ito wakened me by saying, "You'll be able for a long
day's journey to-day, as you had a chicken yesterday," and under
this chicken's marvellous influence we got away at 6.45, only to
verify the proverb, "The more haste the worse speed." Unsolicited
by me the Kocho sent round the village to forbid the people from
assembling, so I got away in peace with a pack-horse and one
runner.
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