Zhoukou Gospel Hospital was set up by Christian.
There are various well-equipped departments.
It is a service-oriented hospital and charges
low medical fee. Pastor Ma Xin hoped that the
hospital will show Chinese society the love of God in
Jesus Christ through medical service.
The hospital's work in educating the
local population about HIV/AIDS is also
recognized by the government.
I met Doctor Wang Xiu Lan who showed us around the hospital yesterday.
I told her that I needed guidance on the traditional Chinese
medicine.
Doctor Wang did not have the Henan accent and she spoke good Mandarin.
I understood her Mandarin. But she wrote down certain key words
on paper to make sure that I understand.
I asked her about the Coptisrroot (黄连) which bothered me
for years. This herb is bitter in taste.
It regulates the stomach and usually we take it after meals.
It alleviates internal heat. It has the function of disinfection
and anti-inflammation. After taking it, one has to drink more
water. This medicine is not to be taken by itself. It is usually
taken with other herbs.
When Mama Fang from Taipei visited our church about twenty years ago,
she gave me a prescription. I went to the traditional Chinese
medicine shop to buy the herbs. The shop owner told me that
he could not sell the herbs according to the prescription.
He explained that the prescription consisted Coptisrroot (黄连)
and the government banned it. I told the shop owner that
I would not take the Coptisrroot by itself only and it was
only one of the herbs in the prescription.
I was very disappointed. It is always happened that the
nonprofessional tries to set rules for the professional.
Although that rule was later corrected, but would it be happened again?
Doctor explained that we do not take any medicine with excessive amount.
We usually start with small amount and increase it if necessary.
She also told me that the same herbal plant which grows in
different environments may have different properties.
I experienced it many years ago. When I was in Thailand,
Pastor Chamraeng treated me with the salad. It was the leaves
of a plant which we considered it is poison.
I ever grew a plant with the Chinese name 'seven stars' and
I did not find its record when I referred to the Chinese Herbal
Publication.
Doctor Wang reminded me that some of the herb might be called
using the local name. Therefore we cannot find it from any reference
book.
I told Doctor Wang that I missed two opportunities in learning
acupuncture and she offered to teach me on the spot.
I was too nervous to do. She then give me two set of the
needles used in acupuncture as souvenir.
As the project of my YAH! Community College was to do the
massage for the elder in a day care centre, I asked Doctor
Wang to give me some advice. She told me that not
to use too much pressure as the skin and skeleton of
the elder are different from the fragile. She also
showed me how to do it.
I learned a lot from Doctor Wang during the
conversation. I went back to the church an hour later.
Xue Wen brought us to another village to visit a church.
It was quaint. It was also simple and crude equipped.
There was an old folk home built beside the church
and was not yet in use.
As we hardly see any village in Singapore, we were curious in
whatever we saw there. We were attracted by the pond, the goats
and children.
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