EXTRAIT

Miscellaneous Superstitions to cure the Sick

When the Chinese are sick they oftentimes have recourse to some god or goddess which they suppose has the control of the particular disease with which they are taken. They burn incense before the image, and implore a speedy recovery. If they should recover, the credit is given to the divinity worshiped, and an offering of meats or vegetables is made with more or less pomp, and at great or small expense, according to the standing of the family, and the nature of the vow made at the time of invoking the aid of the god or goddess.

If the person dies, the divinity worshiped is not regarded as to blame, but the thank-offering which would have been rendered in case of recovery is withheld. The death is simply accounted for by saying it is in accordance with the ‘reckoning of Heaven’. They do not seem to regard recovery from illness to be at all connected with the ‘reckoning of Heaven’. If one dies it is because Heaven wills it, or it is according to the decrees of fate. If one recovers it is because the god or goddess which controls the disease wills recovery. It is all to be credited to his or her power and benevolence. They practically ignore the great fact that health and sickness, life and death, are always in accordance with the reckoning of Heaven — are all controlled and governed by the Supreme Disposer of events.

The Chinese, notwithstanding their submission to the reckoning of Heaven, or their belief in the power of the gods and goddesses they have invented and established, make great use of medicine when they are sick. After all, the result is ascribed to Heaven if unpropitious and death ensues, or to the gods if health returns and the sick man recovers. They seem to act and feel as though Heaven were able only to cause one’s death, and that only the gods had the power to rebuke disease and restore to health.

They try to propitiate a certain destructive divinity. — When the members of a family are sick one after the other, the sickness is very often attributed to the evil agency of a god called the ‘destroying god’, which is believed to cause diseases in families. The manner in which the Chinese sometimes speak of this subject would lead one to suppose that they imagine there are mysterious and injurious influences existing between and among the members of a family, as from the father toward his son, or the husband toward his wife, etc., very frequently resulting in illness. Some families which are afflicted with repeated and inexplicable sickness, having first made a solemn vow to have a ceremony performed, the object of which is to beg or bribe the god to dissipate or destroy these influences, proceed to have it done as soon as the health of their sick ones will admit. They employ several priests belonging to the Tauist sect. The ceremony lasts, according to the option of the families who employ the priests, from one day and one night to three days and three nights, according to the amount of money they determine to expend on the occasion. They erect a temporary altar out of common tables. On this are arranged various portable images of gods, candlesticks, censers, and implements used in the ceremony. Oftentimes a large amount of meats and vegetables is also offered. The priests chant their liturgy or formularies, ring their bells, and march in concert around the altar. The merit of their performances is all supposed to go to the benefit of the sick, and it is hoped that the ‘destroying’ demon will be prevailed upon to extirpate the baneful influences under his control, letting the sick not only get well, but keep well.

They endeavor to expel various deadly influences proceeding from evil spirits. — Should any one who has had general good health be suddenly and mysteriously taken with dizziness in his head, pain in his eyes, or with inability to use his hands or feet as usual, his illness is not unfrequently ascribed to the influence emanating from some one of seventy-two malignant spirits or gods. Immediate measures must be taken to counteract or expel this evil influence. A table is placed in the lightest part of the room in which the sick man is. On it are arranged three cups of wine, a platter having on it five kinds of fruit, and a censer and a pair of candlesticks. A quantity of mock-money is also procured, ready for burning. A Tauist priest is hired to recite the proper formulas, in order to secure the expelling of this malignant influence from the sick man. Sometimes he invokes the aid of a certain headless demon in this important work. The priest provides himself with a small bell, which he rings while he repeats his formulas ; and with a bowl of water, which he sprinkles or snaps with his fingers on the articles offered, and on the sick person. He has also a bundle of various kinds of paper charms ready for use when needed, and a small stick of wood, with which he strikes the table at intervals during the recitation of his formulas. The incense and candles are burning all this while, and at the proper time he sets the mock-money on fire. About the close of the performance he produces three paper charms, one of which is to be stuck up over the door of the room, another is to be worn on the person of the sick, if it be a man, or on her head, if it be a woman ; and the third is to be burnt, and its ashes, mingled with hot water, are to be drank by the sick one. Sometimes one of these charms is suspended on the curtain of the bed on which the afflicted person sleeps, according to the directions of the officiating priest. He is supposed to know which of the different methods of using the charms should be practiced in any given case. In case the priest is successful in expelling the malignant influence at an early period, medicine is rarely used in restoring the disabled individual to health. When the evil influence is removed, the person will soon regain his usual degree of health, as a matter of course.

They invite the mandate of the ‘arrow’ from a powerful god. — When an important member of a family is taken very ill, and the disease does not yield to medicine or nursing, it is often affirmed to be caused by an evil spirit or influence, only subject to the great gods. A member of the family — as wife, child, or brother — goes with disheveled hair, and wearing a white garment around the waist or over the shoulders, to the temple of one of the principal idols worshiped in the city, and beats the drum, which notifies the god that there is an urgent need of his kind offices. Sometimes the individual carries a stick of lighted incense in his hands, weeping and kneeling down in the streets every short distance. This indicates the greatest distress and danger. On reaching the idol’s presence, he hastily lights incense and candles before the god, and proceeds to state, in a kneeling position, the circumstances of the family of the sick person, and the importance of his immediate recovery to health, as having several small children, or as having aged parents dependent on him for support. The applicant begs an arrow-like utensil, less than two feet long, on which is sometimes written a single word, ‘command’. This arrow is taken home, and placed in an upright position on the centre of a table, or it is suspended over it, or it is put in a frame prepared for its reception, or in the censer used by the family of the sick man. It is then worshiped, and incense and candles are burnt daily before it in its honor, until the sick person recovers or dies. Should he recover, a thank-offering, consisting of meats, etc., is prepared by the family, and presented before the image of the god on the occasion of returning the ‘arrow’ to the temple from which it was obtained.

If the ‘arrow’ is ineffectual, and the sick person dies, it must be returned to the temple where it belongs, accompanied with a simple offering of mock-money, incense, and candles. These are not to be regarded as a thank-offering, but only as tokens of respect, without which the divinity would be offended.

This ‘arrow’ is regarded as the warrant or command of the god invoked for the departure of the evil spirit, or the expulsion of the wicked influences which are supposed to infect the sick person, and constitute the main cause of his illness.

The sick person’s illness is sometimes attributed to the spirit of his or her former wife or husband (that is, in a previous state of existence), which, after long search, has finally succeeded in finding its partner. The sick person sometimes declares this to be the fact, or rather the mouth of the sick is used by the spirit to make the disclosure. In such a case, some one of the family makes a vow to have performed a certain ceremony, the object of which is to ‘ferry over’ the wandering spirit ; or they employ a magician to perform a certain other ceremony for the relief of the sick, by ‘catching’ the spirit which possesses or disturbs him. If such a procedure does not result favorably, a resort is finally had to some popular divinity, by soliciting an arrow, as above described.

They attribute the disease to the anger of some god. — Sometimes a person is suddenly attacked with an unaccountable disease. His family attribute it to some god or goddess unknown, which has become offended through some act or word of the person, and which, as a punishment, has sent the disease upon him. After such a conclusion, one of the family takes three sticks of incense in his hand, approaches the individual, and fervently and reverently inquires, in ‘substance’, ‘What god has this man offended that he is thus afflicted ? I beg that the divinity will make it known by the mouth of the sick, so that I may readily go and render thanks’. If the sick person then should speak the name of any god or goddess, it is taken for granted that such a god or goddess has been the cause of his illness. Offerings of meats and vegetables, together with incense, candles, and mock-money, are, according to custom, prepared and presented before an image of the divinity whose name was mentioned by the afflicted one. The object of all this is to propitiate the good-will of the divinity, and thus expedite the recovery of the patient.

Sometimes recourse is had to divination, by means of a tortoise-shell and three ancient cash, in order to ascertain what divinity has been offended, and what must be done to propitiate it, and where the ceremony must be performed, etc.

Often the sick person will himself (speaking for the god offended) declare the day, month, and year when he abused or paid manifest disrespect to some idol in a specified place, and that his soul is to be taken to the lower regions to suffer punishment for this sin, which punishment it now becomes the object of the family to prevent, by propitiating the offended divinity through offerings of meats, incense, and mock-money.

It is a very prevalent belief among the common people that those who insult the images of the gods and goddesses worshiped here will be seized with colic, or with some painful disease, as the positive punishment for such conduct. Probably this sentiment conduces very much to the respectful treatment which is universally shown to the idols carried in public procession through the streets, even by persons who are not engaged in them, and who are delayed or annoyed by them.

It is not unfrequently remarked, in regard to the sickness of children, that perhaps they are suffering from the influence of a goddess of children, familiarly called ‘Mother’ ; or, in regard to the ailments of a husband or a wife, that he or she, as the case may be, has offended against a certain god of bad repute worshiped by prostitutes. These divinities must be propitiated by a presentation of meats, mock-money, etc., when it is supposed the persons afflicted will speedily recover.

They ascribe the disease to the enmity of the spirit of a deceased person. — Sometimes, when one is taken with sudden and severe pains, and becomes quite ill, or when one’s business goes wrongly, and he loses money, such a state of things is frequently ascribed to the grudge or enmity of the spirit of some person, now deceased, but who was offended, either in the present or in a former state of being, by the sick man, or the man whose business languishes, or by his ancestors, for whose follies or for whose vices he is held responsible, and for whom he is made to suffer. In view of such suspicions, the family proceed to prepare several suits of paper clothing, a miniature paper umbrella, several pairs of small straw sandals, and a large sheet of paper. They provide also an offering of meats, mock-money, candles, and incense. Several priests belonging to the Tauist religion are then invited to repeat the formula for dissolving or untying grudges. They perform the ceremony either in the sick man’s house or in some temple, burning the paper articles and offering the eatables according to the established custom. The object of this is to propitiate the inimical spirit, or cause it to take its departure. Unless this is done, it is feared that the same ill luck, or the sickness arising from the malevolence of an injured and offended spirit, will disturb the man and his family in successive generations, or at least until the revenge or the enmity of the unfriendly spirit shall have been satisfied. Buddhist priests seldom or never engage in the performance of the ceremony for dissipating grudges. Sometimes some of the members of the family themselves are able to repeat the formularies relating to this subject, which is believed to answer nearly as well as though it were done by hired priests.

They invite the god of medicine to their house. — If one has very painful ulcers, malignant sores, or inflamed eyes, recourse is often had, by some of his family on his behalf, to a god of medicine, in somewhat the following manner : The friend goes to the temple erected in the god’s honor and for his worship, but, as the god is quite deaf, he must be aroused and interested in an extraordinary way. Some, therefore, rub or tickle one of his ears, and then present their requests, speaking into his organ of hearing thus excited. Others rub the part of the image which corresponds to the part of the body of the sick man which is affected, in order that the god may know precisely where his services are needed. The suppliant, having burned incense and candles before the image of the ‘Doctor’, returns to the home of his relative, the patient, carrying some of the ashes taken from the censer standing before the god, or from the medicine-box of one of his attendants, whose images stand near by. Now these ashes represent the ‘Doctor’, and must therefore be treated with respect and reverence by the family. They are done up in red paper, and placed in the censer belonging to the household, and incense and candles are daily burned before them, accompanied with kneeling and bowing. If the man’s boils or ulcers disappear soon after this, it is attributed to the efficacy of the god of medicine, and the man must make a thank-offering to him in his temple, consisting of five or ten dishes of vegetables (no meats), with the customary burning of candles, incense, and mock-money, rewriting at the same time the ashes which were previously obtained front the temple. This doctor is a Grahamite.

They get ten men to become ‘security’ for the sick person. — When one is sick, and medicine seems to do no good, sometimes his relatives and friends, of ten different families, endeavor to benefit him by becoming a kind of ‘security’ for him. Each family contributes one hundred cash, which is paid into the hands of a member of his family. This amount not being sufficient to defray the expenses of the subsequent feast and ceremonies, what is needed in addition is furnished by the family. They purchase a quantity of eatables, as pork, fish, fowl, eggs, fruit, wine, cakes, etc., and provide a feast for these ten friends in a temple. These articles are, however, first presented before the idol worshiped these, as an offering, in order to obtain the aid of the god in restoring the sick man to health. The names of these ten persons, written on a piece of paper, are also burned before the idol, as a fancied security for him. Besides, several priests are employed to recite their formulas, and perform certain other ceremonies for the benefit of the sick man. After the conclusion of these preliminaries, the articles provided are arranged on tables for eating, and the ten friends, the priests, and other guests, if any have been invited, sit down to the feast. When the representative of the family returns home, he carries a certain wooden vessel, holding about a peck, being four-sided, and larger at the top than at the bottom, containing some rice, ten chopsticks, which are placed in an upright position around the sides of the measure, also one pair of shears, one foot-measure, one metallic mirror, and one money-balance or scales. These four articles are placed in the centre of the four sides. In the centre of the measure is a burning lamp, in front of which, or on the sides of which, are two candles and three sticks of incense, all lighted, and, finally, a small wooden stick or image representing the sick individual.

As soon as he reaches home, some of the rice in the measure is immediately taken and made into congee, which is given to the sick man to eat, if possible. The measure, with its contents, is placed in the room where the sick one is. The lamp, the candles, and the incense are allowed to burn as long as they will. They must go out of themselves, and not be extinguished by design, as that would be a very inauspicious omen.

They endeavor to bring back the departing spirit of the sick man. — When one is very sick, and apparently almost ready to die, as a last resort the following method is sometimes adopted to prevent the death of the sick man, and restore him to health : Several priests of the Tauist sect are engaged to repeat their formulas in a temple for his benefit. At the house, or near it, another ceremony is performed ; sometimes, however, that too is performed in the temple. A bamboo, eight to ten feet long, having fresh green leaves at its little end, is provided. Near this end there often is fastened a white cock. One end of a red cord is tied around the centre of a two-foot measure, and the other end is made fast around the bamboo, among the green leaves. A coat belonging to the sick man, and very recently worn, is suspended on this measure, its ends being put into the arm-holes of the garment. A metallic mirror, having a handle to it, is then tied on this measure in such a manner that it will come a few inches above the shoulders of the garment, in the place where the head of an individual would come were the coat to be worn. Some one of the family takes this bamboo pole and holds it loosely in his grasp in a perpendicular position, standing not far from the house, or in the temple if conveniently near. A priest now begins to call over the name of the sick person, and to ring his bell, and to repeat certain incantations, the object of which is to cause the sick man’s spirit to enter the coat. The white cock and the bright mirror are supposed to perform an important part in effecting this desirable object. After a while the pole is sometimes observed to turn round slowly in the hands of its holder, which circumstance is believed to be a sure proof of the presence of the spirit of the sick man in the coat. At the conclusion of the ceremonies the coat is taken from its place on the bamboo pole, and placed as soon as possible on the body of the sick man, or it is spread over him as he lies on his bed, if he is too sick to allow its being put on properly.

It should have been premised that the spirit of the sick man is supposed to have left his body, and yet to be hovering around in the vicinity. It is supposed also that it can be induced by the performance of the ceremonies above described to return to the coat which has been but recently worn by the person to whom the said spirit belongs ; and, if it but enters the coat, it can be transferred to the body of the sick man, and perhaps be prevailed upon to remain there.

They follow out the directions of a book of charms. — There is a very singular method of treating unimportant diseases of children, or their common pains, as headache, colic, etc., very frequently resorted to by their parents at this place. A small book, said to have been made a long while ago by one who was then the chief of Tauist priests, contains a list of days, with directions how children should be treated who are taken with certain symptoms on these days. If a parent wishes to follow out the teachings of this book, when his child is sick, he has only to look for the day and the hour when it was taken unwell, and ascertain whether there is any correspondence between the symptoms given therein and the symptoms of his sick child. If there should be a correspondence, he is instructed what to do to remove the disease from his child, and also what evil spirit is the cause of the illness. What he is instructed to do is designed to appease this spirit. Specific directions are given, according to the time, disease, and spirit concerned. Perhaps he must buy a certain number of sheets of white and of yellow mock-money. He must prepare a picture of a horse, and also of a boy or of a girl, as the case may be, like the pictures of the horse, the boy or the girl, found in the book as patterns. This can be done by taking a piece of paper and laying it on the figure found in the volume, and then tracing the outlines with a pen. These must be burned with the face of the performer turned toward the north, east, south, or west, according to the directions of the book. Sometimes, also, a few dishes of vegetables and cakes are to be offered to the mischievous spirit, all according to this doctor-book.

They burn a paper image as a kind of substitute. — When one is very sick, sometimes a ceremony is performed, the object of which is principally to propitiate the god which, according to them, rules over the current year. The ceremony takes its distinctive name from a rude picture of a human being drawn on or cut out of a piece of paper, representing the sick man. This is pasted on a slip of bamboo. About one hundred pieces of mock-money having been pasted into a certain form, and placed together in a square or round package, the paper image is stuck into it by means of the bamboo slip. This package is then put into an open, shallow bamboo basket, such as farmers use oftentimes for drying grain. A plate containing a small piece of uncooked pork, one duck’s egg, a little fowl’s blood, and one unbaked cake, is also placed on this shallow basket, with three cups of wine, and some incense and candles. This basket and its contents are then placed under a table, on the ground, or on a low stool. On the top of this table are also placed a pair of candlesticks, and a censer for candles and incense, together with five, or eight, or ten plates of meats, fish, fowls, bread, and vermicelli. After the officiating priest has recited his formulas and incantations, some member of the sick man’s family takes the package of mock-money, having the paper image still sticking in it, and, holding it so that the face or front of the image shall be toward the outside of the house, carries it out of doors. The priest follows him after pronouncing one or two sentences, ordering the departure of the disease, or whatever troubles the sick man. After both parties are out of the house, and while standing in the street, the priest spouts from his mouth some water over the man, and the mock-money, and the representative image. Afterward the image and the mock-money are burned, and the whole ceremony is concluded by the company feasting on the edibles which have been offered to the presiding and governing deity for the current year. This representative image is supposed to carry off whatever interferes with the recovery of the sick man. The bread, the vermicelli, and the duck’s egg are all omens of good, and sustain an important relation.

They hire one to ascend a ladder of knives. — Sometimes a company of Tauist priests are engaged by the family of a sick man to perform their incantations and repeat their formulas for his benefit, accompanied by ascending a ladder of knives. A ladder is extemporized for the occasion, the rounds of which consist of swords or long knives, with the edge upward. At a certain part of the performance, one of the priests, barefooted, ascends this ladder, and, after arriving at the top, he stands there a while and recites some spells for the relief of the sick man. It is thought that the wicked spirits, who take delight in troubling mankind, will see the swords, and will be frightened, not daring to approach the man to do more evil. The gods, too, it is hoped, will thus be influenced to take pity on the afflicted man, and expedite his recovery to accustomed health. This ascending a ladder of knives, compared with some of the other methods above described, for the benefit of a sick person, is seldom practiced, perhaps because of the danger of being injured by the knives on the part of the individuals who engage in it.