Page:Village life in Korea (1911).djvu/183

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The Village Doctor.
153

a boy carrying a pony's hoof which had been cut off just above the ankle joint. On inquiring what he was going to do with it, he said it was to be used for medicine. At another time one of our neighbors came to borrow our rat trap, saying that her little girl was sick and the doctor had said a roasted rat would make her well. Time would fail me to write of all that might be said on this subject, even if it were possible to express it in language that was suitable for these pages. With the mention of one other much-esteemed remedy, I shall turn from this part of the subject. That remedy is the horns of a certain kind of deer which is found in the country. These are supposed to cure a large number of diseases, and sell for a very large price, when the poverty of the people is taken into consideration. Not three miles from where I am writing this lives a wealthy gentleman who has a deer which he keeps for the purpose of selling the horns, which are cut as fast as they grow out. The blood of the deer is supposed to restore strength and vigor to one in a low state of health.

The druggist and the doctor are often combined in the same person. But where this is not the case there is no written prescription; the doctor tells what the trouble is, and the druggist with the aid of his books is able to make out the prescription and fill it. The drug stores are interesting. I have spent many nights in them when traveling in the country and happened to stop with a druggist. His drug room and his reception room are one and the same, hence I have slept many nights among the drugs. The drugs consist of