Toads Venom, Etc.

Over the Christmas holidays, we received e-mail from our oldest son in New York who informed us that he and his wife were sick with a monster flu. Talk about computer virus -- the next day my wife started coughing, sneezing, and generally feeling awful. By that evening she had chills so bad her teeth were chattering, and it was clear she was burning up with fever.

"Can I get you anything?" I asked.

"Aspirin," she said. "And maybe some lemon and honey to make a hot drink."

Thus began my quest to find Western medicine and a few familiar flu remedies in Beijing. I realized, to my astonishment, that in over three months in China, I had not passed a single "drug store" -- as we call such places in America. Not even a "chemist," "apteka," "pharmacy," or any of the various international names or symbols I am accustomed to seeing when I want to buy a packet of aspirin. Where do people go in Beijing, I wondered, when they want some medicine for the flu?

I decided I would try the supermarket in the basement of the Lufthansa Center -- a glitzy, Western-style shopping mall that is the last word in Beijing when it comes to high prices and foreign chic. But the supermarket was a disappointment. I found Italian chianti, cheese, butter, all sorts of exotic things -- even honey and lemons. But no aspirin. Then someone directed me to the International Medical Center a few doors down. Fantastic, I thought, wandering into a small but very modern clinic.

A young Chinese woman with excellent English told me she had British aspirin, 24 soluble tablets to a box. Great, I said. I'll take two boxes. She did some higher mathematics, smiled, and announced, "That will be $18. Would you like to pay in dollars or RMB?" My mouth fell open. "Eighteen dollars!" I repeated, to make certain there was no mistake. When she nodded, I cut my order in half -- at these prices, a single box of 24 aspirin would have to do.

Western medicine is available in China, but be prepared to pay -- better yet, stock up on everything you think you might need at your favorite cut-rate drug store back home. In Beijing, it is possible to save money (40 - 50% on consultation costs, 33% on pharmaceuticals) by becoming a member of the International Medical Center (Tel: 86-10 6465-1561), signing up for different membership "plans" that begin at $200 per annum, per individual. The center has a number of European and American doctors, and it's a comfort to know it's there.

But there is another option: traditional Chinese medicine. When I returned to our university and I told a Chinese friend that my wife had the flu, he gave me a small package of something called "Niuhuang Xiaoyanpian," and said it would fix her right up. Inside I found a slip of paper with the ingredients listed in Chinese and "English." I quote exactly: "Prescripeion: Bezoar (man made), Mather of Pearl, Toadvenoms, Indigo, etc."

Somehow it was the word "etc." which gave one pause -- following such a startling list of ingredients. Fortunately my wife and I grew up in the sixties, and we are nothing if not adventurous. "Toad venom? Well, why not?" She took the pills, and I did too -- with all my running around, I had started feeling a little sick myself. That night my wife's fever broke, and she was well in a day or two; I never had more than a few sniffles and cough. I don't know if it was the "Toadvenoms" or the "etc," but it was one of the quickest and easiest bouts with the flu that either of us had ever experienced.

And the price for "Niuhuang Xiaoyanpian"? My friend wouldn't take any money, but he said it was only a yuan or two. Where do you buy traditional Chinese medicine? At hospitals and "medicine stores" scattered around the city. It is not easy for a foreigner to navigate these places without a command of the language -- but I plan to investigate, and will report my findings when I learn
more.

Meanwhile, drink plenty of liquids, get lots of rest . . . and stay well!

Next Week: Old Man Winter

Previous articles

From the Editor in Chief: If you have some travel or work experience in China to share with us, we will be very excited to hear from you! Send your feedback by e-mail or regular mail to ASM Overseas Corporation. Thank you!

And if you liked this column, please check Expats In China (International Community in China) for more interesting and useful information on life in China as a foreigner, including calendar of events, entertainment, housing, employment, classifieds, personal, etc.