The fourth annual report of the Chinese Hospital, at Shanghae, from January 1st, to December 31st, 1850 / by the Committee.

  • Chinese Hospital (Shanghai)
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The fourth annual report of the Chinese Hospital, at Shanghae, from January 1st, to December 31st, 1850 / by the Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    himself, because his brother had defrauded him of a sum of money, and to be revenged he took opium ; so that had he died, his brother would have been considered as his murderer, and been much blamed by all his relatives. Ihe Chinese frequently commit suicide in order to throw the blame of their death at another’s door. Another case occurred of a woman attempting to poison herself, because her husband had reproved her for some misconduct, and she wished to put herself out of the way, and annoy her husband. Another woman had pawned a person’s clothes, and the owner wanted them again, when she had not money enough to redeem them. Another woman had been beaten by her husband. Another was not allowed the liberty she wished for, and took this plan of obtaining her freedom, and causing her death at the same time. By much the larger proportion of these attempts originated in very trivial causes. It was mentioned in the last report, that a great number of persons had applied to be cured of the habit of opium-smoking : this year many applicants have presented themselves for the same purpose, and some have been permanently cured, but the majority have not had resolution enough to follow out the plan recommended. The first thing that ought to be done is to get the use of the pipe discon- tinued, supplying its place at first by opium and camphor in pills, giving at the same time astringents, as pomegranate-skin powder, to check the diarrhoea that always follows the abandonment of the pipe. Tonics are also administered, such as infusion of quassia with bitter tincture of any kind, and any of the essential oils, or with cam- phor mixture. Other stimulants are also given when required ; ge- nerous diet is recommended to the patient, and. after continuing the opium pills for a few days, they are gradually reduced in quantity, till they are left off altogether, and the tonic is then given alone, till the cure is complete. The Chinese suffer much from large abscesses in the hands and other parts of the body. They frequently form in the theca or the tendons, and many patients present themselves, having the ten- dons and the bones of the fingers destroyed. Many cases of enor- mous ulcers apply for relief; two of these are still under treatment. In one, an ulcer extended from the middle of the thigh to the ankle ; in another from the hip to the knee. Last spring two cases came to the hospital, within a few days of each other ; in both there was