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Without Words - Body Language, Number 2

© Sandra Linville

In many medical history collections, the most beautiful artifacts are Chinese diagnostic dolls or Chinese doctor dolls. Since a woman could not be physically examined by a male physician as dictated by traditional Chinese custom, she indicated her physical problem with a figurine. Usually carved from ivory, the figure was made from a variety of material.

An ivory female figurine or Chinese diagnostic doll can be viewed at Moody Medical Library.

Another example is found at the Adler Museum of the History of Medicine Its Esther Adler Room displays other items including a machine used by Queen Victoria to cure nervous diseases and a nose-shaping device, as well as the Chinese diagnostic doll.

The following is a poem inspired by the traditional Chinese custom.

Translated Body

by Sandra Linville-Thomas

Ivory
Jade
Carnelian
Transparent rhino tusk

The Chinese woman
unwrapped the small, impenetrable figure
and pointed to
the head
the neck
the arms
the breasts
the stomach

Shielded in her raiment
she cradled the doll.
It translated her body,
defended from probing hands
and showed the doctor the location
of her affliction

At times, a servant conveyed
the figure to the doctor
and tapped the place of the pain for her.

When the mother died, she passed the figure
to her daughter who presented her own pain
expecting the doctor’s answers to her ache.
A mystery, he said.

Away from the doctor,
the daughter caressed the surrogate mother
and pointed out her pain to herself,
honoring the legacy
in the transparent rhino tusk.

Additional information and photographs of diagnostic dolls or doctors' ladies (added 10.27.00):

Doctors' Ladies
http://membres.tripod.fr/pgosse/doctor.h...

Diagnostic Dolls article by Mary Claire Britt Cowen
http://www.uab.edu/reynolds/diagnos.html

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