Chap. VI. 



CURE FOR FEVER. 



103 



fess I did so with considerable reluctance ; but 

 " a drowning man will catch at a straw." There 

 were several medical men in the little tea-village 

 of Tein-tung-ka, within two miles of the temple. 

 My good friend the priest, with whom I was stay- 

 ing, offered his services to go and fetch one of the 

 best of these, an offer which was gratefully accepted. 

 When the doctor arrived I was in bed with a 

 burning fever upon me. After putting several 

 questions as to the time the fever came on, whether 

 I had daily attacks, and the time each attack con- 

 tinued, he then felt my skin and pulse, and looked 

 as if he understood the nature of the disease, and 

 could cure me. ^' I understand from the priests 

 and your servants you are in the habit of bathing 

 every morning in the cold stream which flows past 

 the temple ; this must be discontinued. You are 

 also in the habit of having considerable quantities 

 of Ke-me* put in your soup ; this you must give 

 up for the present, and you will live on conge for 

 a few days." I told him his directions should be 

 attended to. He then despatched a messenger to 

 his house for certain medicines, and at the same 

 time ordered a basin of strong hot tea to be 

 brought into the room. When this was set before 

 him he bent his two forefingers and dipped his 

 knuckles into the hot tea. The said knuckles were 

 now used like a pair of pincers on my skin, under 

 the ribs, round the back, and on several other 

 parts of the body. Every now and then the ope- 



* A kind of vermicelli, very good about Ningpo. 



