The Wall Street Journal’s senior editor Bob Davis shares a whimsical travel account of his visit to Tongcheng People’s Hospital in China where he sought medical treatment after breaking his ribs on a hike in the Gaoligong Mountains:
Finally, I got to see a specialist, who sat at another wooden desk. He looked at my X-rays, holding them up to the light from the window. He conferred with Frank and Mr. Ji.
The diagnosis: two broken ribs. “See?” he said, holding up the film. I saw two gaps, which I guess were the breaks. I fell on a good part of my back, he said. (Easy for him to say.)
Take it easy, he said. Take Chinese medicine. (He didn’t say what kind.) And try some Yunnan-made spray that’s good for healing. Pain should subside in two weeks or so.[Source]
During his hiking trip, Davis reportedly saw a wild wolf, was “beset by nasty leeches,” and brushed his hand against a “poisonous bush.” According to Davis, the hospital he visited charges 1 yuan (16 cents) to be admitted and 4.4 yuan (67 cents) to see a doctor.
Learn about Chinese medicine via CDT.
