• Submitted by: admin
• Editorial Articles
• Culture and Traditions
• 05 / 29 / 2007

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We do not known about other parts of the world, but al least among Cuban people it is very popular a saying that goes "A ese no lo salva ni el medico chino" (he will not be saved even by the Chinese doctor). So far, I thought it was about the well-known fame of the Asian medicine in general or about a fantastic character. However, this was not that way, although it can seems incredible to me, when I was searching for information in pages of Havana history I found that this famous figure really existed and what astonished me the most is the fact that he stayed in Havana.

He lived at the end of the 19th Century in Cuba. He was one of the many fearless people from the Oriental land that immigrated to this island in pursuit of fortune. His name was Cham Bom Biam. He began his medicine studies in his native country until he decided to venture in a contract to make agricultural work in Coliseo at Matanzas province.

It is said that the Chinese man found a way to graduate as doctor in that province where he went to work and then he combined the two works. The fame achieved as physician made him to work in Havana city sporadically.

The news about his great skills began to spread rapidly and many patients from all over the country whose sufferings were already discarded by other doctors went to see him. The same people made him to devote his life to medicine and go down in history.