THE BURMAN AT HOME.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2572, 5 January 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BURMAN AT HOME.

HETAKKS T'.NGMSiI MBDII'ISES. " Has your honour brought the medicine box this time, ?" asks Shway llmaw in a tone of deep interest. I have brought the box as usual, and my reply in the affirmative elicits a general expression of opinion that "it is good." My stock of remedies is not extensive ; in fact it is as limited as it is simple in character, consisting of vaseline, which is the universal cure if a man has anything wrong outside him, and quinine, ehlororlyne, and pills for inward application. Thus my patients run at least no danger of being poisoned, if they derive no benefit, from the physic. I have travelled a great deal with the above assortment of medicines, and, absurd as it may seem, nan confidently assert that their production at the riyht time, when the country was disturbed and villagesabounded with bad characters, saved me from many difficulties. The men around me are already discussing the patients who may want medicine, and I overhoar sundry remarks on the "cases," which literally translated, read like exercise phrases from a very primitive grammar. "Can his honour's medicine enre Moung Pay's heel?" "I think Moung Pay will die ; he is very thin." Moung Pay's insido in sick, therefore he grows thin." " Bah Oo had much pain yesterday." "Yes, it was his belly; ho ate many mangoes." " The little medicine balls will be good for that." "Will his honour give medicine for Mah Gyoe's cow?" "I cannot tell. Moung Daw will askhim, , ' and so on for five minutes whilst I am unpacking my provisions to get at the box required. "Those people who want English medicine to-day may come tome and I will give it to them," I say with the generous kindne-s of a man who has a. boundless stock of health at his disposal. "Tell anyone who lias hurt himself to wash and come to Moung Daw's houso now," 1 oontinue with candour unusual in doctors. The inj'inction to wash is very necessary, as I have found by experience that the acquisition of a " nahpouk " (sick hole), be it wound, bum, or sore, is followed by total abstention from the u--e of water until the place ishealid. A curious thing, for the Bnrmuti is cleanly in his pereonal habits, bathing regularly every day when water is convenient, and in that land of heavy rains few villages are not well supplied. Half a dozen little boys constitute themselves crier?, and the proclamation is rapidly conveyed to every house in the village, resulting very shortly in a largo assemblage of patients, some of whose troubles throw a striking side-light on the carelessness of the race. Mah Too'.i baby is the first. It has a soro head acquired by being accidently laid on the hot clay fireplace, after the ashes had been removed. The shaven head of the, poor baby is sadly scarred, but the accident occurred some time ago, and there is nothing to bo done, as the injury is healing up. Hah Oo's four-year-old boy, above the piercing howls of the patient, I gathered that he kicked his father's dab as it lay stuck through the floor, and cut his foot nearly through. In stentorian tones I prescribe washing , , vaseline, and bandages to be applied at once ; iind recovering breath, turn to Bah Oo himself. Severe pains which he thought ye-terday indicated cholera, but which his friends ascribe to mangoes. If better now, but would like medicine in view of a recurrence. Accepts one pill in both hands and chews it. with mournful earnestness dashed with dawning hope of good results to follow. Mah Gyee applies for advice regarding a large boil on her neck. Gratefully receives a strong recommendation to wash, and a bread poultice, which she is uncertain how to use, and is too shy to ask me about. Correcting Mah Day's suggestion that her friend should eat it hot, I continno dispensing medical comforts and judicious advice, keeping an eye on my servant Mouug Tso, who, acting on those occasions as my assistant, displays great skill in the washing department. Indeed the liberal use of warm w-ter is the initial treatment in every instance, and it is two hours before the last patient takes his departure. HE (SETS TATTOOED. Pho Myin, the subject, is lying on a mat quite nude, with a dazod look iu his half-closed eyes, and breathing heavily. Mouns? Daw nods at him meaningly. "He has taken much opium," he says, grinuing to me. I am not surprised at it. If the Htokwinsnyahgyee was going to exercise his art upon me for four or five hours, I should follow the Barman's plan and take opium by way of an anaesthetic. The tattooing will show well on the plump fair-skinned lad before us, and the professor evidently thinks he is a subject to tnko pains with, as he pits carefully mixing his ink in a joint of bamboo, and preparing his weapon. This is a brass rod nearly two feet long, mid about half an inch thick ; it is weighted at the top with a little ornamental figure, and at the other end has a hollow point divided by two oto.-s slits into four fine pricks. The professor examines the " business end" critically, and having satisfied himself that it is sharp enough, tucks uphis putsoe, and squats at Pho Myin's side, Selecting a spot on the thigh, he places both feet on it a few inches apart, and, stretching the skin tight, draws the outline of the first figure—a tiger rampant — with an inky splinter of bamboo ; this is soon done, and relieving himself of a large mouthful of betelnut, the professor settles down to work in earnest. Leaning forward through his widely-parted knees, he balances the brass style daintly, and clasping it with the finger and thumb of the right hand, makes a "bridge" of the left, which he rests on the surface between his feet. After sliding the instrument through his fingers once or twice, as if to take aim, he makes a start and pricks away steadily with a light firm touch that is wonderingly quick and true. In less than five minutes the tiger with its surrounding border is finished, and the artist removes his feet from the distended skin and washes off the superfluous ink to see how his work has come out. Everybody presses forward to look at the picture, which shows up in bold relief on the rapidly formed swelling. Moung Sail; exchanges a remark with his wife, and the tittooer resumes his working position to draw the outline of the next iianre. The boy, stupefied with opium, lies insensible to the pain, whilst one figure after another gradually appears on his skin, Deep as the points of the style sink, they draw little blood, buttho limb swells in a manner that would alarm anyone who did not know it would return to its normal size in a day or two. Fever sometimes supervenes, and in that case the patient waits for a tirao before the work of illustration is resumed, so it often extends over a period of a week or ten days, during which the inconvenience suffered is considerable. Without the aid of opium the process would be a much longer one. I found that I conld not endure the application of the style for more than thirty consecutive seconds without flinching so much as to interfere with the operator's movements ; for the skiu is, pricked over so closely that it becomes too tender to sustain repetition. Eight rupees is the usual fee paid to a tattooer for endowing a lad with breeches. The figures that compose vary little, consisting as a rule of tigers, " nagas " (dragons), • and " beloos " (devils). Each one is surrounded with a border of sentences, generally illegible, invoking good luck upon the owner of thri ekiu whereon they are inscribed. The waist and knees are neatly finished off with a tasteful edgingof point or scroll pattern ; these sensitive parts of the bo ly are the last to be done, and tattooers have told mo that the pain caused frequently arouses the patient from his torpor.—C irnhill.