Wan finds that a person's trouble is such that it cannot be reached by 

 the herbs, he frankly says so. 



2. Fong Wan is a student; he has original ideas. He pursues no 

 "hit and miss" policy in the dispensing of herbs. Although his wide 

 and varied experience makes it possible for him to decide immediately 

 in most cases what herbs are best suited to the needs of his patron, yet, 

 in unusual cases, he burns the midnight oil and delves deep into the 

 writings of the Ancient Chinese Sages. Thus fortified, he makes appli- 

 cation to the case in hand. 



3. Fong Wan has a good command of the English language, thus 

 obviating the necessity of an interpeter. Fong Wan believes that a 

 Chinese, like any other foreigner of intelligence, is capable of acquiring 

 a vocabulary of at least 3,000 words, of learning the eight parts of 

 speech, and of expressing his thoughts both orally and in writing, in 

 plain English. He doubts whether a Chinese, who, after having lived 

 in America a number of years, is still unable to speak English, has suf- 

 ficient intelligence to properly administer the herbal remedies. 



4. The Fong Wan Company imports its herbs direct from China,, 

 thus making it possible for its herbalist to dispense first quality, fresh 

 herbs, of a wide variety, as well as to furnish its patrons with the 

 more expensive kinds of herbs for the same money that they would 

 pay for inferior and less effective ones elsewhere. In addition to the 

 herbs in the drawers in the herb room, the company generally has from. 

 45 to 65 large cases in the basement. 



Some of the more intimate secrets of the success of the Fong Wan 

 Herbalist may be gleaned from a conversation he held with an Ameri- 

 can friend, during the course of which he casually remarked that he 

 would retire at the age of sixty. 



"Retire at sixty! What's the great idea?" queried his friend in sur- 

 prise. 



"Simply this. Being a competent herbalist is comparable to being^ 

 a successful business or professional man in other lines. It requires 

 vitality, energy, and power of concentration. A herb specialist under- 

 goes great mental strain, as he works on the individual case. At sixty, 

 the faculties are much less acute than when one is in the prime of life, 

 and the power of concentration is greatly abated. Futhermore, an 

 older man is less susceptible to new ideas and later methods. I have 

 met many herbalists of long experience, who, in their old age, lacked: 



172 



