406  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry.  {^epSefim 
Weights  are  made  in  two  qualities:  the  common  kind,  used  on 
the  steelyard,  are  of  iron,  and  are  suspended  therefrom  by  means  of 
a  string  tied  about  the  knob  at  the  top  of  the  cylindrical  body. 
These  weights  are  similar  to  our  knob  weights  in  form.  The  fine 
quality,  used  for  weighing  specie  and  drugs,  are  made  of. bronze. 
These  are  finely  polished,  similar  to  a  figure  8  in  form,  only  very 
slightly  contracted  in  the  centre ;  they  are  about  as  thick  as  they 
are  broad. 
As  the  standard  of  weight  depends  on  the  fact  that  the  standard 
Chinese  currency  is  silver,  which  is  only  worth  its  bullion  value 
for  all  important  commercial  transactions,  and,  consequently,  is 
weighed,  and,  as  their  weights  have  the  same  names  as  the  divisions 
of  the  currency,  I  give  a  table  of  these  coin  values. 
10  cash  equal  i  candareen. 
10  candareens  equal  i  mace. 
10  maces  equal  i  tael. 
12  taels  equal  i  pound  avoirdupois  of  silver. 
So  we  see  their  standard  coin  is  the  tael,  and  this  is  their  unit  of 
weight.  Weights  of  10  taels  down  to  the  mace  are  made  of  bronze; 
the  I  mace  and  subdivisions  thereof  are  made  of  small  thin  blocks 
of  ivory.  All  weights  have  the  imprint  in  Chinese,  indicating  their 
value. 
The  prices  obtained  by  the  druggist  vary  very  much,  a  small  pot 
of  eye-paste  to  clear  the  vision  brings  about  6  cents;  an  ounce  pill, 
gold  coated  and  encased  in  wax,  may  bring  several  dollars,  while 
the  Chinese  panacea,  the  native  ginseng,  brings  its  weight  in  gold. 
It  is  the  usual  thing  to  find  a  physician,  who  has  gained  a  repu- 
tation, in  each  drug  store ;  he  is  not  connected  with  the  store  man- 
agement proper,  but  the  druggist  finds  it  to  his  trade  interest  to 
have  a  desk  for  the  physician  in  his  shop.  The  consultation  is 
somewhat  on  this  order:  The  patient  comes,  he  is  very  carefully 
examined  as  to  pulse  both  of  the  right  hand  and  the  left,  this  may 
take  ten  minutes,  then  follows  a  searching  examination  of  the  eyes, 
tongue,  etc.  A  prescription  is  now  written  and  the  patient  hands 
this  to  the  druggist.  It  may  call  for  a  standard  pill  or  a  complex 
prescription  of  animal  and  vegetable  drugs;  all  is  carefully  weighed 
out  separately  and  wrapped  up  for  the  patient.  At  the  home  this 
is  mixed  according  to  the  directions  given,  and  an  infusion  thereof 
made.    The  druggist  does  not  retain  the  prescription. 
