[Left: a postcard of Danshui Harbor from 1930 when shipping was still unhindered by the shifting sands.]Immediately after defeating the French at the Battle of Fisherman's Wharf, 孫開華提督General Sun Kai-Hua had taken ill from drinking too fast and too much cold tea back at the camp. After much search, a young physician of Bac-dau-a by the name of 鄭木筆 was invited to treat Gen Sun and Sun was in fact quickly cured. Dr 鄭, affectionately addressed by his patients as 木筆先 (Vo' Bi' Sen), subsequently became a most renowned doctor of northern Taiwan.
[Source: 張建隆，＜八月二十西仔反＞，《金色淡水》20期，1994.10.15]:
"相傳孫開華既擊退法軍，歸營後即猛灌冷卻之茶水，因而獲疾。時軍中缺乏良醫，遍尋附近名醫。不得其人。幾經打聽，知北投仔（今北投里）有一年輕大夫鄭木筆乃三角湧（今三峽）已故名醫之高徒，因延其診治，果然藥到病除。「木筆先」也因此聲名大噪，日後成為北部一帶的名醫。"
A mere 10 years after the Sino-French war, in 1895, China ceded Taiwan to Japan's colonial rule. Following the lesson learned from the French, the Japanese invading force landed near Keelung, not Danshui. Gen Sun孫開華, however, did not live long enough to see this happen having already passed away in 1893. The Japanese rule was to last until Aug 14, 1945. This occupation proved costly to the 鄭Cheng family. A member of the next generation, 鄭子昌醫師 (EyeDoc's father), together with 341 other Taiwanese physicians, medics, and medical assistants were drafted and sent to serve in the Pacific War; 247, including the young Dr 鄭, perished in French Indochina on Jan 12, 1945 (see here for details).
I heard a lot about Bok-Pits Sen 木筆仙 while growing up in Tamsui. “That is his house”, my mother always pointed out for me when we passed by his house on our way to visit uncle. I also know Eye-Doc’s uncle 鄭嘉昌老師while his family renting house from my father, however, I did not know 木筆仙was Eye-Doc’s grandfather until today. Unknown also was that why my mother asked me to call 鄭嘉昌老師as 表舅仔; they all have gone and I have no way to verify the facts. By the way, Eye-Doc’s uncle 鄭嘉昌老師rented house from my father after 李金龍巡査補, father of the former president Lee Ting-Hui. Eye-Doc’s father 鄭子昌医師and 鄭嘉昌老師are well-known by local people but I have never heard of the name of the other brother.
回覆刪除Cho-San
This is very interesting and exciting, your mother was a 表妹 of 木筆仙's children !?
回覆刪除The "other brother", my eldest uncle, was 鄭克昌, a 獸醫, whom I barely remember, though.
At a 鄭 family gathering 3.5 weeks ago in Taipei, my oldest 堂哥 seemed to recall your family. I'll look into it more the next time we meet up.
A very small world, isn't it.