Travels in China, Containing Descriptions, Observations, and Comparisons, Made and Collected in the Course of a Short Residence at the Imperial Palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen, and on a Subsequent Journey through the Country from Pekin to CantonBarrow, John, Sir
History
Travels in China, Containing Descriptions, Observations, and Comparisons, Made and Collected in the Course of a Short Residence at the Imperial Palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen, and on a Subsequent Journey through the Country from Pekin to Canton
Barrow, John, Sir
China -- Description and travel
Several instances however occurred in the course of our journey through
the country, which seemed to mark the same unfeeling and hard-hearted
disposition to exist between persons of equal condition in life, as in
men in office over their inferiors. One of these afforded an
extraordinary trait of inhumanity. A poor fellow at Macao, in the employ
of the British factory there, fell by accident from a wall and pitched
upon his skull. His companions took him up with very little appearance
of life and, in this state, were carrying him away towards the skirts of
the town, where they were met by one of the medical gentlemen belonging
to the embassy. He interrogated them what they meant to do with the
unfortunate man, and was very coolly answered, they were going to bury
him. Having expressed his astonishment that they should think of putting
a man into the grave before the breath was out of his body, they replied
that they were of opinion he never could recover, and that if they
carried him home he would only be a trouble and expence to his friends
so long as he remained in a situation which rendered him unable to
assist himself. The man, however, by the humanity and attention of
Doctor Scott, was restored again to his family and to those friends who
knew so well to appreciate the value of his life.
The doctor however was not aware of the risk he ran in thus exercising
his humanity, as by a law of the country, which appears to us
extraordinary, if a wounded man be taken into the protection and charge
of any person with a view to effect his recovery, and he should happen
to die under his hands, the person into whose care he was last taken is
liable to be punished with death, unless he can produce undeniable
evidence to prove how the wound was made, or that he survived it forty
days. The consequence of such a law is, that if a person should happen
to be mortally wounded in an affray, he is suffered to die in the
streets, from the fear (should any one take charge of him) of being made
responsible for his life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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