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.
