lacquer　chest　with　the　same　crest　in　gold　upon　it　as　Dr。　Nosoki
  wore　in　white　on　his　haori。　　This　contained　a　medicine　chest　of
  fine　gold　lacquer；　fitted　up　with　shelves；　drawers；　bottles；　etc。
  He　compounded　a　lotion　first；　with　which　he　bandaged　my　hand　and
  arm　rather　skilfully；　telling　me　to　pour　the　lotion　over　the
  bandage　at　intervals　till　the　pain　abated。　　The　whole　was　covered
  with　oiled　paper；　which　answers　the　purpose　of　oiled　silk。　　He　then
  compounded　a　febrifuge；　which；　as　it　is　purely　vegetable；　I　have
  not　hesitated　to　take；　and　told　me　to　drink　it　in　hot　water；　and　to
  avoid　sake　for　a　day　or　two！
  I　asked　him　what　his　fee　was；　and；　after　many　bows　and　much
  spluttering　and　sucking　in　of　his　breath；　he　asked　if　I　should
  think　half　a　yen　too　much；　and　when　I　presented　him　with　a　yen；　and
  told　him　with　a　good　deal　of　profound　bowing　on　my　part　that　I　was
  exceedingly　glad　to　obtain　his　services；　his　gratitude　quite
  abashed　me　by　its　immensity。
  Dr。　Nosoki　is　one　of　the　old…fashioned　practitioners；　whose　medical
  knowledge　has　been　handed　down　from　father　to　son；　and　who　holds
  out；　as　probably　most　of　his　patients　do；　against　European　methods
  and　drugs。　　A　strong　prejudice　against　surgical　operations；
  specially　amputations；　exists　throughout　Japan。　　With　regard　to　the
  latter；　people　think　that；　as　they　came　into　the　world　complete；　so
  they　are　bound　to　go　out　of　it；　and　in　many　places　a　surgeon　would
  hardly　be　able　to　buy　at　any　price　the　privilege　of　cutting　off　an
  arm。
  Except　from　books　these　older　men　know　nothing　of　the　mechanism　of
  the　human　body；　as　dissection　is　unknown　to　native　science。　　Dr。
  Nosoki　told　me　that　he　relies　mainly　on　the　application　of　the　moxa
  and　on　acupuncture　in　the　treatment　of　acute　diseases；　and　in
  chronic　maladies　on　friction；　medicinal　baths；　certain　animal　and
  vegetable　medicines；　and　certain　kinds　of　food。　　The　use　of　leeches
  and　blisters　is　unknown　to　him；　and　he　regards　mineral　drugs　with
  obvious　suspicion。　　He　has　heard　of　chloroform；　but　has　never　seen
  it　used；　and　considers　that　in　maternity　it　must　necessarily　be
  fatal　either　to　mother　or　child。　　He　asked　me　（and　I　have　twice
  before　been　asked　the　same　question）　whether　it　is　not　by　its　use
  that　we　endeavour　to　keep　down　our　redundant　population！　　He　has
  great　faith　in　ginseng；　and　in　rhinoceros　horn；　and　in　the　powdered
  liver　of　some　animal；　which；　from　the　description；　I　understood　to
  be　a　tigerall　specifics　of　the　Chinese　school　of　medicines。　　Dr。
  Nosoki　showed　me　a　small　box　of　〃unicorn's〃　horn；　which　he　said　was
  worth　more　than　its　weight　in　gold！　　As　my　arm　improved
  coincidently　with　the　application　of　his　lotion；　I　am　bound　to　give
  him　the　credit　of　the　cure。
  I　invited　him　to　dinner；　and　two　tables　were　produced　covered　with
  different　dishes；　of　which　he　ate　heartily；　showing　most　singular
  dexterity　with　his　chopsticks　in　removing　the　flesh　of　small；　bony
  fish。　　It　is　proper　to　show　appreciation　of　a　repast　by　noisy
  gulpings；　and　much　gurgling　and　drawing　in　of　the　breath。
  Etiquette　rigidly　prescribes　these　performances；　which　are　most
  distressing　to　a　European；　and　my　guest　nearly　upset　my　gravity　by
  them。
  The　host　and　the　kocho；　or　chief　man　of　the　village；　paid　me　a
  formal　visit　in　the　evening；　and　Ito；　en　grande　tenue；　exerted
  himself　immensely　on　the　occasion。　　They　were　much　surprised　at　my
  not　smoking；　and　supposed　me　to　be　under　a　vow！　　They　asked　me　many
  questions　about　our　customs　and　Government；　but　frequently　reverted
  to　tobacco。
  I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XX
  The　Effect　of　a　ChickenPoor　FareSlow　TravellingObjects　of
  InterestKak'keThe　Fatal　CloseA　Great　FireSecurity　of　the
  Kuras。
  SHINGOJI；　July　21。
  Very　early　in　the　morning；　after　my　long　talk　with　the　Kocho　of
  Kanayama；　Ito　wakened　me　by　saying；　〃You'll　be　able　for　a　long
  day's　journey　to…day；　as　you　had　a　chicken　yesterday；〃　and　under
  this　chicken's　marvellous　influence　we　got　away　at　6。45；　only　to
  verify　the　proverb；　〃The　more　haste　the　worse　speed。〃　　Unsolicited
  by　me　the　Kocho　sent　round　the　village　to　forbid　the　people　from
  assembling；　so　I　got　away　in　peace　with　a　pack…horse　and　one
  runner。　　It　was　a　terrible　road；　with　two　severe　mountain…passes　to
  cross；　and　I　not　only　had　to　walk　nearly　the　whole　way；　but　to　help
  the　man　with　the　kuruma　up　some　of　the　steepest　places。　　Halting　at
  the　exquisitely　situated　village　of　Nosoki；　we　got　one　horse；　and
  walked　by　a　mountain　road　along　the　head…waters　of　the　Omono　to
  Innai。　　I　wish　I　could　convey　to　you　any　idea　of　the　beauty　and
  wildness　of　that　mountain　route；　of　the　surprises　on　the　way；　of
  views；　of　the　violent　deluges　of　rain　which　turned　rivulets　into
  torrents；　and　of　the　hardships　and　difficulties　of　the　day；　the
  scanty　fare　of　sun…dried　rice　dough　and　sour　yellow　rasps；　and　the
  depth　of　the　mire　through　which　we　waded！　　We　crossed　the　Shione
  and　Sakatsu　passes；　and　in　twelve　hours　accomplished　fifteen　miles！
  Everywhere　we　were　told　that　we　should　never　get　through　the
  country　by　the　way　we　are　going。
  The　women　still　wear　trousers；　but　with　a　long　garment　tucked　into
  them　instead　of　a　short　one；　and　the　men　wear　a　cotton　combination
  of　breastplate　and　apron；　either　without　anything　else；　or　over
  their　kimonos。　　The　descent　to　Innai　under　an　avenue　of
  cryptomeria；　and　the　village　itself；　shut　in　with　the　rushing
  Omono；　are　very　beautiful。
  The　yadoya　at　Innai　was　a　remarkably　cheerful　one；　but　my　room　was
  entirely　fusuma　and　shoji；　and　people　were　peeping　in　the　whole
  time。　　It　is　not　only　a　foreigner　and　his　strange　ways　which
  attract　attention　in　these　remote　districts；　but；　in　my　case；　my
  india…rubber　bath；　air…pillow；　and；　above　all；　my　white　mosquito
  net。　　Their　nets　are　all　of　a　heavy　green　canvas；　and　they　admire
  mine　so　much；　that　I　can　give　no　more　acceptable　present　on　leaving
  than　a　piece　of　it　to　twist　in　with　the　hair。　　There　were　six
  engineers　in　the　next　room　who　are　surveying　the　passes　which　I　had
  crossed；　in　order　to　see　if　they　could　be　tunnelled；　in　which　case
  kurumas　might　go　all　the　way　from　Tokiyo　to　Kubota　on　the　Sea　of
  Japan；　and；　with　a　small　additional　outlay；　carts　also。
  In　the　two　villages　of　Upper　and　Lower　Innai　there　has　been　an
  outbreak　of　a　malady　much　dreaded　by　the　Japanese；　called　kak'ke；
  which；　in　the　last　seven　months；　has　carried　off　100　persons　out　of
  a　population　of　about　1500；　and　the　local　doctors　have　been　aided
  by　two　sent　from　the　Medical　School　at　Kubota。　　I　don't　know　a
  European　name　for　it；　the　Japanese　name　signifies　an　affection　of
  the　legs。　　Its　first　symptoms　are　a　loss　of　strength　in　the　legs；
  〃looseness　in　the　knees；〃　cramps　in　the　calves；　swelling；　and
  numbness。　　This；　Dr。　Anderson；　who　has　studied　kak'ke　in　more　than
  1100　cases　in　Tokiyo；　calls　the　sub…acute　form。　　The　chronic　is　a
  slow；　numbing；　and　wasting　malady；　which；　if　unchecked；　results　in
  death　from　paralysis　and　exhaustion　in　from　six　months　to　three
  years。　　The　third；　or　acute　form；　Dr。　Anderson　describes　thus。
  After　remarking　that　the　grave　symptoms　set　in　quite　unexpectedly；
  and　go　on　rapidly　increasing；　he　says：…　〃The　patient　now　can　lie
  down　no　longer；　he　sits　up　in　bed　and　tosses　restlessly　from　one
  position　to　another；　and；　with　wrinkled　brow；　staring　and　anxious
  eyes；　dusky　skin；　blue；　parted　lips；　dilated　nostrils；　throbbing
  neck；　and　labouring　chest；　presents　a　picture　of　the　most　terrible
  distress　that　the　worst　of　diseases　can　inflict。　　There　is　no
  intermission　even　for　a　moment；　and　the　physician；　here　almost
  powerless；　can　do　little　more　than　note　the　failing　pulse　and
  falling　temperature；　and　wait　for　the　moment　when　the　brain；
  paralysed　by　the　carbonised　blood；　shall　become　insensible；　and
  allow　the　dying　man　to　pass　his　last　moments　in　merciful
  unconsciousness。〃　｛15｝
  The　next　morning；　after　riding　nine　miles　through　a　quagmire；　under
  grand　avenues　of　cryptomeria；　and　noticing　with　regret　that　the
  telegraph　poles　ceased；　we　reached　Yusowa；　a　town　of　7000　people；
  in　which；　had　it　not　been　for　provoking　delays；　I　should　have　slept
  instead　of　at　Innai；　and　found　that　a　fire　a　few　hours　previously
  had　destroyed　seventy　houses；　including　the　yadoya　at　which　I
  should　have　lodged。　　We　had　to　wait　two　hours　for　horses；　as　all
  were　engaged　in　moving　property　and　people。　　The　ground　where　the
  houses　had　stood　was　absolutely　bare　of　everything　but　fine　black
  ash；　among　which　the　kuras　stood　blackened；　and；　in　some　instances；
  slightly　cracked；　but　in　all　unharmed。　　Already　skeletons　of　new
  houses　were　rising。　　No　life　had　been　lost　except　that　of　a　tipsy
  man；　but　I　should　probably　have　lost　everything　but　my　money。
  LETTER　XX（Continued）
  Lunch　in　PublicA　Grotesque　AccidentPolice　InquiriesMan　or
  Woman？A　Melancholy　StareA　Vicious　HorseAn　Ill…favoured　Town
  A　DisappointmentA　Torii。
  Yusowa　is　a　specially　objectionable…looking　place。　　I　took　my
  luncha　wretched　meal　of　a　tasteless　white　curd　made　from　beans；
  with　some　condensed　milk　added　to　itin　a　yard；　and　the　people
  crowded　in　hundreds　to　the　gate；　and　those　behind；　being　unable　to
  see　me；　got　ladders　and　climbed　on　the　adjacent　roofs；　where　they
  remained　till　one　of　the　r