H4518.8

Herb cutter and table. Wooden table, hand made, with railings on three sides and one drawer and lower shelf; herb cutter is attached to the table: a large knife of forged steel hinged at the front with Chinese characters stamped in the blade; with a wood handle and brass collar. From the History Information Station: Object: Pharmacy table, with an attached chopping knife of forged steel and a cutting guide of soft iron to help avoid accidents. History: What would you do if there were no doctors and hospitals to help when you got really sick? The Chinese in early California depended on herbal medicines, prepared by skilled pharmacists who knew the recipes for hundreds of herbal cures. These recipes had been known and handed down for hundreds of years. When the Chinese came to California, their herbal medicines came with them. This table was used for chopping herbs in a Chinese pharmaceutical shop in San Francisco in the last century. Chinese herbal medicines are still used by many Californians.

Used: Chinese American | Chinese | Pharmacy