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中国漢方その二
以前、雅子さんは原因不明の吹き出物に悩まされ、地元の中国漢方薬局で薬を購入したエピソードをレポートしました。薬のおかげで湿疹は1週間で消え、以来、雅子さんは中国漢方を信じています。先日、ニューヨークを訪れた際にも、チャイナタウンの漢方薬局に立ち寄り、肩凝り解消のため中国式マッサージを体験しました。
Chinese Medicine Ii
By MASAKO YAMADA
I was wandering around Chinatown in New York during Thanksgiving break and noticed several signs touting
Chinese-style massage, acupuncture and foot massage treatments. These signs were often hung in the windows of Chinese
herb shops and pharmacies. I was very interested in trying the Chinese-style massage, since I've had shoulder stiffness for a long time and I thought it might provide some relief.
Even though the Chinese stores didn't advertise their services in a very tempting way, I felt the no-frills treatment might work well for me. I'd recently visited a Chinese medicine doctor to have a year-long case of very
stubborn eczema treated, and the rash virtually disappeared after only a week. This made me a convert, so I was eager to see what else Chinese medicine has to offer.
I decided to have my shoulders treated and walked into the store. The herbalist was obviously popular, since her
appointment book was full. The Chinese pharmacy near my home in Boston is busy with people from near and far, so I wasn't
surprised to hear that the person being treated before me — a 12-year-old — was visiting from North Carolina.
The herbalist was a talkative, motherly sort and she kept on telling the boy that as long as he tried his best and
studied hard, his parents would be happy. She even gave him a lucky cat. I liked her approach, since it was obvious that
the boy needed more than a pack of pills.
When my turn came along, she took my pulse, looked at my tongue and asked me a couple of questions about my
general health. This was exactly the same treatment I'd gotten at my local Chinese pharmacy. She then pointed to my face,
and the topic quickly turned to my pimples. Yes, I'd been puzzled by the sudden appearance of these pimples. She
prescribed a mix of Chinese herbs to brew and she also gave me a tube of topical cream.
Finally, the time for my massage came. The herbalist's brother would be doing the actual massage. The pharmacy was a tiny
storefront, so he took me to a massage room in an apartment building across the street.
I trusted the friendly herbalist with the busy office and, by extension, her brother. Therefore, I did not feel unsafe
going into the doctor's office inside the apartment (for some reason, it said "eye doctor" above the door). However, the
place was very unimpressive.
The carpeting was worn, the massage table was a bit stained, and medicine-soaked cloths were lying about.
Weird potions sat around in what looked like empty food jars. Somehow, the low-tech room made it seem as if the massage
would be even more effective.
Thankfully, he used new paper towels to apply the massage liquid, and he covered the massage table with new paper.
This massage resembled nothing like the spa massages I've read about in magazines. There was no soothing music, warm
oils or aromatic incense.
The masseur did not do much to try to improve the mood. Unlike his loquacious sister, the man could barely speak
English. He worked on my muscles with vigor, and it hurt tremendously. He would ask, "Pain? Pain?" I would grunt,
"Yes," but he kept on swing
ing my arms around and slapping my shoulders. It was far from relaxing, but he concentrated on the especially stiff
spots, so I suppose he knew what he was doing. After the massage, he gave me some alcohol with which to rub my body, and
we went back to the herbalist.
She told me that I should come back during winter break so they could work on my shoulder again. Although my shoulder
hurt more after the massage than before, I am tempted to make another visit. I can't help believing that there must be a
deeper truth to the somewhat mysterious behavior of these Chinese medicine doctors.
I've already brewed some of the Chinese herbs she gave me for my pimples. It's a scary looking mix of twigs, pieces of
bark, berry-like fruits, flowers and things that look like pieces of carpet. It's terribly bitter, but when I visit
next time, I think the pimples will be gone.
I was wandering around Chinatown in New York during Thanksgiving break and noticed several signs touting
Chinese-style massage, acupuncture and foot massage treatments. These signs were often hung in the windows of Chinese
herb shops and pharmacies. I was very interested in trying the Chinese-style massage, since I've had shoulder stiffness for a long time and I thought it might provide some relief.
Even though the Chinese stores didn't advertise their services in a very tempting way, I felt the no-frills treatment might work well for me. I'd recently visited a Chinese medicine doctor to have a year-long case of very
stubborn eczema treated, and the rash virtually disappeared after only a week. This made me a convert, so I was eager to see what else Chinese medicine has to offer.
I decided to have my shoulders treated and walked into the store. The herbalist was obviously popular, since her
appointment book was full. The Chinese pharmacy near my home in Boston is busy with people from near and far, so I wasn't
surprised to hear that the person being treated before me — a 12-year-old — was visiting from North Carolina.
The herbalist was a talkative, motherly sort and she kept on telling the boy that as long as he tried his best and
studied hard, his parents would be happy. She even gave him a lucky cat. I liked her approach, since it was obvious that
the boy needed more than a pack of pills.
When my turn came along, she took my pulse, looked at my tongue and asked me a couple of questions about my
general health. This was exactly the same treatment I'd gotten at my local Chinese pharmacy. She then pointed to my face,
and the topic quickly turned to my pimples. Yes, I'd been puzzled by the sudden appearance of these pimples. She
prescribed a mix of Chinese herbs to brew and she also gave me a tube of topical cream.
Finally, the time for my massage came. The herbalist's brother would be doing the actual massage. The pharmacy was a tiny
storefront, so he took me to a massage room in an apartment building across the street.
I trusted the friendly herbalist with the busy office and, by extension, her brother. Therefore, I did not feel unsafe
going into the doctor's office inside the apartment (for some reason, it said "eye doctor" above the door). However, the
place was very unimpressive.
The carpeting was worn, the massage table was a bit stained, and medicine-soaked cloths were lying about.
Weird potions sat around in what looked like empty food jars. Somehow, the low-tech room made it seem as if the massage
would be even more effective.
Thankfully, he used new paper towels to apply the massage liquid, and he covered the massage table with new paper.
This massage resembled nothing like the spa massages I've read about in magazines. There was no soothing music, warm
oils or aromatic incense.
The masseur did not do much to try to improve the mood. Unlike his loquacious sister, the man could barely speak
English. He worked on my muscles with vigor, and it hurt tremendously. He would ask, "Pain? Pain?" I would grunt,
"Yes," but he kept on swing
ing my arms around and slapping my shoulders. It was far from relaxing, but he concentrated on the especially stiff
spots, so I suppose he knew what he was doing. After the massage, he gave me some alcohol with which to rub my body, and
we went back to the herbalist.
She told me that I should come back during winter break so they could work on my shoulder again. Although my shoulder
hurt more after the massage than before, I am tempted to make another visit. I can't help believing that there must be a
deeper truth to the somewhat mysterious behavior of these Chinese medicine doctors.
I've already brewed some of the Chinese herbs she gave me for my pimples. It's a scary looking mix of twigs, pieces of
bark, berry-like fruits, flowers and things that look like pieces of carpet. It's terribly bitter, but when I visit
next time, I think the pimples will be gone.
Shukan ST: Dec. 10, 1999
(C) All rights reserved
- was wandering around 〜
- 〜 をぶらついていた
- Thanksgiving break
- 感謝祭の休み
- touting
- 売り込む
- acupuncture
- はり治療
- herb
- 薬草
- pharmacies
- 薬局
- shoulder stiffness
- 肩凝り
- relief
- 解消
- (in a)tempting way
- 気を引くようなやり方で
- no-frills treatment
- 実質本意の療治
- have 〜 treated
- 〜 を治療してもらう
- stubborn eczema
- 頑固な湿疹
- rash
- 湿疹
- virtually
- 事実上
- convert
- 宗旨変えした者
- was eager to see what else Chinese medicine had to offer
- 中国医学でほかにどんなものがあるのか見てみたかった
- herbalist
- 漢方医
- appointment book
- 予約表
- talkative, motherly sort
- 話好きで母親のようなタイプ
- lucky cat
- 猫のお守り
- a pack of pills
- 錠剤のシート
- my turn came along
- 私の順が回ってきた
- pulse
- 脈拍
- tongue
- 舌
- pimples
- にきび
- prescribed
- 処方した
- brew
- 煎じる
- topical cream
- 塗り薬
- storefront
- 通りに面した店
- by extension
- その延長で
- unimpressive
- 印象のよくない
- carpeting
- じゅうたん
- worn
- 擦り切れた
- (was)stained
- 染みが付いていた
- medicine-soaked cloth
- 薬品が染み付いた布
- were lying about
- 散らばっていた
- Weird potions sat around in what looked like empty food jars.
- 怪しげな薬が食品の空きビンのようなものに入っていた
- low-tech
- ハイテクとはほど遠い
- liquid
- 溶液
- spa
- 温泉の保養地
- soothing
- 気持ちをなだめる
- aromatic incense
- 香りのいいお香
- masseur
- 男性マッサージ師
- loquacious
- おしゃべりな
- muscles
- 筋肉
- with vigor
- 勢いよく
- tremendously
- 非常に
- grunt
- うなる
- slapping
- たたく
- stiff spots
- 凝った場所
- rub
- こする
- am tempted to 〜
- 〜 したい気持ちである
- I can't help believing that there must be a deeper truth to the somewhat mysterious behavior of these Chinese medicine doctors.
- この中国人医師たちのどこか謎めいた振る舞いの裏には、何か深淵な道理が隠されているに違いないと思わずにはいられない
- scary looking 〜
- こわい感じの 〜
- twigs
- 小枝
- bark
- 樹皮
- bitter
- 苦い