Beijing - The chunks of brown bark, yellowish slivers of roots and dried light-green flower buds look and smell more like garden mulch than medicine.
But millions of Chinese believe this traditional herbal remedy - "Ba Wei" - offers some of the best protection against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
People form long lines outside one of Beijing's most famous drugstores, Tong Ren Tang, to buy doses of the herbs and roots wrapped up in white paper packets. They believe the medicine - which includes dried honeysuckle and wild chrysanthemum - helps to boost their resistance and ward off SARS.
"I'm buying some for my son because he's a businessman who's always out visiting customers. I'm worried about him," said Long Wenjun, a retired store clerk, as she stood outside the store's Chinese facade with red columns, gold dragons and lanterns with red tassels.
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On Tuesday, China raised its death toll by nine to 148 and reported 3 303 cases of infection, with 1 347 of them in Beijing.
The outbreak has strained China's medical resources - both modern and traditional. Health officials say hospitals in Beijing are running low on drugs and surgical masks, while traditional shops are scrambling to meet surging demand for their cures. - Sapa-AP
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