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The Fong Wan Herbalist: Oakland

At the time that Fong Wan came to Oakland, none of the Chinese Herbalists were doing much business. Many had been driven out of town by the interference of the Medical Board, while others, owing to their inability to relieve an appreciable percentage of the sufferers who came to them, had been unable to gain the confidence of the public. With Fong Wan it was different. He was successful from the beginning. That success attracted numerous herbalists to Oakland, who sought in vain to imitate his methods. Since 1918, more than 14 new herbalists have opened establishments in Oakland; 80 per cent of them have failed to make good and have left town. Before Fong Wan began to serve the people of Oakland, there were very few Chinese herb companies in that city, but at the present time, although San Francisco is three times as large as Oakland, it has but half as many Chinese herbalists.