Traditional Medicine in Asia

Traditional Medicine in Asia
issues. These are the modernization of
traditional medicine, and the integration of
traditional and modern medicine. There is
a large overlap between the two, but they
are different theoretically. Modernization of
traditional medicine refers to the application
of modern scientific theories,
knowledge and methodologies in the study
of TCM, as well as the adoption of modern
science and technology to develop TCM. In
this way, it would not only contain distinctive
Chinese features, but also be relevant in
modern scientific terms. Integration of
Chinese and Western medicine involves
discovering the common points between
the theories of the two systems, a process
of mutual learning so that each can benefit
the other, and combining the best elements
of the two systems so as to establish a new
system of medicine.
Both for modernization of traditional
medicine and integration of the two
systems, it is essential for traditional medical
practitioners to learn modern medicine,
and for Western-trained doctors to learn
traditional medicine. Measures to facilitate
both were taken in the 1950s, but it was
the latter that seemed to work more
efficiently. While summarizing this
experience, the former Chairman of the
Chinese Government, Mao Zedong,
lauded the efforts in this direction and
called on more Western-trained doctors to
devote themselves to the integration of the
two systems. Since then, many types of
courses have been started to help Westerntrained
doctors learn traditional medicine.
Moreover, research institutes for integrating
the two systems, as well as integrated
hospitals and clinics, have been set up for
Western-trained doctors who wish to carry
out research and practices in integrated
medicine on completing the courses. At
present, there are about 12,000 highranking
“integrated” medical doctors. They
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have not only contributed to the progress
in many areas of medicine, but have also
been playing a particularly important role
in encouraging cooperation and harmonization
between practitioners of the two
systems. Broadly speaking, their achievements
have been in the following areas.
Proposal of modern scientific
explanation for traditional
medical theories
It is mainly the unique theories underlying
TCM that make it so difficult to understand.
Some of these are actually ancient Chinese
philosophical ideas, which, though rather
quaint, are not disconsonant with modern
perspectives. Some other theories, however,
such as the concept of visceral organs, are
misleading. While the anatomical
description and names of these organs
correspond to those in modern Western
medicine, the physiological and pathophysiological
expositions on them are so
different from modern concepts that they
cast doubts on the correctness of TCM.
Extensive studies carried out by the
“integrated” doctors have revealed that
each visceral organ in TCM is actually
viewed as a comprehensive functional
system rather than an individual internal
organ. Also, greater emphasis is laid on
the inter-relationships among the functional
systems than on the consideration of
individual organs. For example, the word
kidney in TCM signifies far more than an
organ of the urinary system; besides urine
secretion, the kidneys are believed to be in
charge of the endocrine function
(particularly the function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical,
hypothalamic–pituitary–gonad and
hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axes),
myeloid haemopoiesis, bone metabolism,
and a few brain activities. That is why
kidney tonics are considered to be effective