if a
patient dies, or when he does not seem to be getting better. This
certainly is unfair to a doctor, for he cannot cure everything. With
accidents, of course, much may depend upon how the doctor acts, and it
is generally agreed that the Chinese are bad surgeons, so that in an
emergency it would be better to trust to nature than be treated by a
Chinese doctor, if other help was not to be had. We cannot wonder,
therefore, that some of them refuse to visit sick people, if it is
likely there will be danger in the case. Chinese books tell us that
their system of medicine is exceedingly old, in fact, nearly as old as
the monarchy, and it is attributed to a husbandman, whose name was
Shin-nung. He studied what plants were the best food for the body, and
what would cure it when 'out of sorts.' By him, or by some one soon
after him, a list was prepared of the different complaints, and the
proper medicine for each, with the dose to be given, so that any one can
start upon being a doctor if he follows the instruction given. But
should he try giving medicine on a plan of his own, he is likely to get
into trouble.

The fees are mostly small, and the large cities have what we call
dispensaries, where the poor are treated free. Still, there are a great
many doctors in China; some are settled in one place, but hosts of them
travel about, offering to the people quack physic. Boluses or large
pills are favourite medicines, so big that sometimes persons are nearly
choked in swallowing them. Much of the liquid medicine given is thick,
and most nauseous to take; but usually the Chinese drink their potions
without any sign of disgust. There are, however, various aromatics and
perfumes prescribed, which the patients do not have to swallow; they
have only to sniff them, or inhale their vapour. Dried and powdered
bones of many animals are taken as physic; thus, the bones of a tiger
are believed to give strength and courage. An elephant's tusk will
furnish medicine for several complaints. Of the vegetables used, none is
more highly esteemed than the ginseng root.

THE GIANT OF THE TREASURE CAVES.

(_Continued from page 174._)

At length, worn out and with a violent headache, Estelle tried to
collect her senses. Something must be done. No one could help her. If
she was ever to get out of this terrible passage, it must be by her own
exertions. There must be a way--yes surely! The hole in the cliff
suddenly occurred to her and almos