Ah Yin and the Cats Eye

Ah Yin and the Cats Eye

 There are long-held traditional views of magic and superstitions associated with animals, particularly cats in Asian cultures. It is believed that parts of animals can cure different ailments. In terms of felines, Tiger’s are the most notable cat to be killed for magical purposes with some believing they hold magical cure-alls for impotence. It also believed consuming parts of Tiger’s can aid prosperity and bring affluence.

 In 1881, in Braidwood New South Wales, Chinese immigrant Ah Yin was suffering from the slow loss of his eyesight. He believed that if he was to eat a cat’s eye, it would magically restore his sight.

 Ay Pong bought a cat and took it to Ah Yin who drowned it. He then pulled out its eyes, applied some sugar to sweeten the taste, and swallowed the eye whole. Believing it would take two eyes to cure his two eyes, he followed the same procedure for the second eye. As he swallowed the second eye Yin began to cough, chocked and died.

 At his autopsy, it was revealed that the cat’s eye had lodged in the cavity immediately above Yin’s vocal cords. The size of the eye, was the exact size of Yin’s throat cavity, causing him to choke to death on the eye.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller.

Bibliography

‘Animals endangered by superstitions’, Perth Zoo, https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/article/animals-endangered-superstitions

'CURIOUS DEATH.', The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil, (17 December 1881), p. 414

'DID YOU KNOW?', Bunyip, (6 July 1951), p. 3.

'THE MAYOR'S REPORT.', Bunyip, (2 December 1881), p. 2

'CURIOUS DEATH.', The Argus, (26 November 1881), p. 10.