08. The Misfortunes
The smallpox was a terrible infectious disease. The baby should vaccination against cowpox around three to four moths old until WHO announced smallpox is wiped out by 1980.
The way to vaccination against cowpox was take a knife cut a cross on the arm and put the vaccine into it. It will leave a scar afterward.
However, in some rural or county area still has some people did not have cowpox and become a pockmark person.
There is a nursery rhyme to remind people do not forget vaccination against cowpox:
“Pockmark with pock on face, climb up to the tree.”
“Dog bite, people catch.”
“Whip, birch on the person with pockmark face.”
Measles is the other infectious disease for skin. People treat measles as the “must have” process for children grow up before the inoculation was invented.
Although measles is a one-off disease but it does a lot of trouble for parents due to the pain and itch. Normally the parents bring their children to those family has child suffering measles in order to let their children infected in the early days. After all, a young child is much easy to take care of compare with the adult under the measles condition.
Myra, due to the premature condition, did not take vaccination against cowpox until four months old. However, during the process before the cut form into the scar, Myra was infected measles. Anna brought Anna to the hospital and wants to get some good therapy. Astonished the pediatrician said “incredible for the baby to run into such accident.”
Anna, misunderstood the meaning behind the doctor said, was burst into crying and feel there is hopeless for Myra anymore.
The pediatrician explained immediately:
“Do not worry. I am exciting to see such an incredible thing happened on this little baby. And this case is 0.01% happened to people. Whoever encounter this special case and cured will never been infected any kind of skin disease in her life.”
“However, because of this baby is too small and weak that you need to pay extra attention on the body temperature and breath. Bring her to me immediately if there is any unusual phenomenon happened.”
Finally, under the extra care and protection from Anna that Myra was recovered. Anna almost forgot the pediatrician said the Myra will “never been infected any kind of skin disease in her life.” until the whole family infected scabies in Xi’an several years later. Nevertheless, despite of the skin immunity of Myra that mosquito seems in favor at her blood. Myra always has inflamed legs when the family moved to southern Taiwan; it was all because of the mosquito like to sting Myra, especially.
When Myra around 9-moth old, she was about to have teeth and bite whatever she can reach. There is one time, Myra was playing a copper-containing coin and she bites it as well. Unfortunately, she was diarrhea a lot due to the copper poison, the situation getting worse on the diarrhea. Myra was in coma due to dehydrate and poison. Anna was heartbroken when she brought Myra from hospital due to the doctor said: “it is too late.”
The rickshaw man heard from Anna during the way back home. He suggests Anna: “why do not you try the Chinese doctor, I know one is good live near your place.” Anna was stupefaction and has no choice at that moment, so she took the advice and went to see the Chinese doctor.
The Chinese doctor is a benignant look old man with all white beards. He hands over a bond of herbal medicine to Anna after he checks the pulse of Myra.
“Cook the herbal medicine and force her to drink it all.”
If you see there is some little sweat on her nose in an hour, then we have the way to bring her back. Otherwise, you may say that we do not have the affinity with this little girl and please go for the funeral service preparation.
Anna run back to home and cooked medicine immediately. Myra looks like died already the mouth was closely tightly, Anna forced to open her mouth and pours the medicine into Myra’s throat.
Anna stares at Myra without blink.
Gradually, the pale Myra face seems looked better and there is some glob on her noise.
Myra is back.
Anna, as a mother, praise and admire to the God.
Myra took several time medicines and finally recovered.
It is really shame that Anna can not find the old Chinese doctor after Myra recovered. She was told that the old man move back to live with his son in somewhere.
Anna feels regards that she should ask for the prescription from the old man in order to save some children who got copper poison later.
