Killing for a cure
ACCORDING to Bernard E. Read's 1931 encyclopedia Animal Drugs, tigers form a major part of traditional Chinese medicine, with everything from the nose to the faeces being used to treat a host of ailments. There are believed to be other, more diverse tiger products, but the ones listed are recognised as the parts with more traditional medicinal uses. Bones: for removing all kinds of evil influence, devil possession and calming fright. In different forms for rheumatism, muscle cramps, rat bites, ulcers, abdominal pains, typhoid, malaria, hydrophobia, chronic dysentery and burns.
Fat: for all kinds of vomiting, dog bites and bleeding haemorrhoids. When melted, it aids scabs and baldness in children.
Flesh: for nausea, malaria, improving vitality, as a tonic for the stomach, and eye and rectal diseases. With an earthy, acidic taste, which is eaten when salted although not good for the teeth, it can be used as a talisman against 36 kinds of demons.
Blood: to build up the constitution and strengthen willpower.
Stomach: to cure vomiting and stomach problems.
Bile: convulsions and 'Kan' dysentery.
Testes: scrofula.
Eyeballs: epilepsy, malaria, fevers and calming nervous children. Also used for clarifying the vision and removing membranes over the eyes.
Nose: epilepsy and convulsions in children and, if hung on the roof, will induce the birth of boys.
Teeth: hydrophobia, tuberculosis and penis sores.
Skin: malaria, infectious fevers and to ward off evil influences - but the hair is poisonous to open wounds and if slept on will induce fear.
Claws: tied to a baby's arm as a talisman.
Whiskers: toothache.
Faeces: mixed with horse urine and made into 'ash' and applied to inflammations near toenails or fingernails. It is also used for boils, haemorrhoids and to remove bones stuck in the gullet.
Bones in faeces: burns, tetanus and alcoholism.
Shade of a tiger: found in the ground, it is a mythological, amber-like stone which falls from the glance of a dying tiger when it is shot. Recommended for convulsions in children. Ordinary amber is also said to come from this, the belief being that the soul of the animal turns into a mineral.
