National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

The "safe employ" of corn cutting is the only branch of surgery—except, indeed, the circular amputation of the head—to which the Chinese pay any attention. With a little wallet full of the most deadly looking chisels, the corn-cutter, summoned the night before, will smilingly enter your dressing-room and in an inconceivably short space of time, and with extraordinary dexterity, relieve you from the agonies you have been suffering. But don't look at what he is doing, else, under the impression that you are about inevitably to lose at least one joint, you will start and do yourself a mischief. Having finished, if he has deprived you of a remarkably fine specimen, the corn cutter will probably deposit it in his case, otherwise you are welcome to retain the property which has lately been so much trouble to you. For the modest fee of 25 cents per visit, you can have your "poor feet" constantly kept in a state of thorough repair; and we have never heard of an accident occurring, which is more than most professors of the healing art can say about their practice.