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A. Wickstrom

Berkeley, Calif.

In the summer of 1922, while I was attending the seven-day Conference of the Presbyterian Young People at San Anselmo, in the midst of my enjoyment, I contracted a very severe case of Poison Oak. My friends fairly whitewashed me with soda and I tried other -(126)remedies without any perceivable effect, as the Poison Oak continued to spread. The pus dripped so copiously from one of my forearms that one of the Conference leaders went to a private home and begged an old sheet with which to bandage me. My face and neck were so bad that I tried to isolate myself from my companions for fear that they might catch it.

I returned in torment to Berkeley with my face swollen almost beyond recognition and one of my eyes nearly closed. When I entered the house, my mother, who has great faith in the FONG WAN HERBALIST, lost no time in phoning him and describing my condition. He sent me a package of white powder by Special Delivery. I wasn't partial to Chinese Herbs myself, for I hated the smell of them when they were cooking and I liked their taste less, but as this was an odorless white powder, which neither burned nor discolored the skin, and which required only to be mixed with a little water into a thin paste, I was willing to give it a trial.

Within an hour after the first application, the pus had ceased to drip and the terrible burning and itching were almost gone. Four applications had been made before bedtime, and the inflammation was already beginning to subside. My sleep was undisturbed and when I got up the next morning I scarcely recognized myself in the glass, as the swelling in my face was gone, both eyes were open wide, and the eruption had begun to dry. Within twenty-four hours after the first application it had practically disappeared. Three days later when I went to church with my skin smooth and natural, my friends who had come home with me could hardly believe their eyes. They insisted upon knowing what had wrought the magic.

My own prejudice against Chinese Herbs had been completely overcome, and in March, 1923, when I came down with a bad case of Flu, accompanied by high fever and bloody urine, I drank the herbs without protest and was back at College within a week. In the spring of 1924 my mother heard that a young girl friend out at Danville had planned to come to Berkeley on a certain day to buy her Easter hat, but had been prevented because she was suffering so with Poison Oak that she coulld scarcely see, one eye being entirely closed. As I had not used all of the powder, my mother promptly mailed what was left to Gladys. Three days later our bell rang and in came Gladys, looking like a picture in her new Easter hat and brimming over with gratitude for the wonderful remedy. Before I went to San Anselmo in 1924, I got some more of the powder. I didn't con- -(127)tract Poison Oak this time, but two other boys did. I gave them some of the powder, and after but two or three applications their Poison Oak not only ceased to spread, but dried up and disappeared. In closing, I want to say that although FONG WAN has an enviable fundamental knowledge of the properties and uses of Chinese Herbal Remedies, he does not rely entirely upon what he already knows, but continues to study and think. He accomplishes so many big things that he doesn't consider the drying up of a case of Poison Oak worthy of mention, but I do. Therefore I am giving this unsolicited testimonial.