Sketches from Formosa.

CHINESE PATIENTS CAN BE GRATEFUL 145
they do sometimes find it possible to take a journey into
the country, with results which are always much appreci-
On such occasions, a small stock of
ated by the people.
medicine and other accessories is made up, and several of
the Hospital students or assistants accompany their Chief.
Let me, therefore, now refer to the case of an out-
patient, who came under the helpful ministrations of the
Doctor in a village about two days' travel south from
Taiwan-fu. We had long been attempting to begin
stated preaching work in that region, but the turbulent
Hakka population frustrated our efforts, and would not
permit
. worship In
their fellow-clansmen to meet for Christian
these circumstances, it was thought desirable
that a special conciliatory visit should be paid, and that
my colleague, Dr. Lang, should accompany me in order
to embrace any opportunity for the practice of his healing
art. Our head-quarters were made in the chapel at
Taw-kun-eng, from which village we made short journeys
in various directions. The people were quiet, and always
received us in a frank, open way. One day we met a
man whose appearance at once arrested attention . He was
evidently a travelling barber, as could be seen from the
outfit he was carrying ;
but it was the dreadful unsightli-
ness of his face which impressed us. From his upper lip
there hung, well down over the mouth, a mass of purplishcoloured
flesh, which gave the man an almost hideous
appearance, and must have caused him any amount of
discomfort. Indeed, his own imperfectly spoken words
informed us that for many years the process of eating
or of using his opium-pipe had been an all but intolerable
one for him. I asked the Doctor what he thought, but
he wisely would not commit himself till he knew more
about the possibilities in our present situation. As this
travelling barber had been hearing some favourable
things about Dr. Lang's skill and kindness, he readily
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