Communists save a dying CM!

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much Z'ev for this comment (i am in very deep agreement with your POV)

Doc Rosen

<zrosenbe wrote:Matt, Jason,

My hit on this issue has been colored by reading an early manuscript

of Kim Taylor's thesis, " Medicine of Revolution: in

Early Communist China " . In short, the Chinese developed a coherent

nationalized medical system out of the vast data of historical Chinese

medicine which reflected the society at large, its economics, culture

and political values of the era. The communist government resurrected

a dying medicine and gave it new life, but also remodeled it to fit the

needs of society.

 

There appears to be two broad points of view out there: 1) we

should follow the present TCM model developed in mainland China, it is

the medicine of China, they've done the work, we don't have the source

material available to do the same in the West. 2) TCM is overly

influenced by communist dogma, undervalues acupuncture, and edited out

the 'spiritual' aspects of the medicine.

 

My own feelings on this issue, which I think I share with Paul, is

that the Chinese have done what they felt they needed to do with the

vast, chaotic field of Chinese medical practices to suit their modern

society. We need to do the same, and for that, we need to access the

source materials, and learn some history as well as cultural context to

do so. This is very difficult, since few of us can read medical

Chinese, or have a broad enough base of literature to do the

synthesizing necessary. Also, it will take dedicated funding and

scholarship. At a more grass-roots level, I think we need to do it in

our day-to-day studies and practice. in order to succeed.

 

I don't think we can just copy the Chinese model outright, it won't

work here. Our society and its needs are different, and we don't have

a centralized hospital system to practice with. Certainly, the TCM

model will be one of our main sources, but we should be more

broadminded in developing CM in the West.

 

We've got a lot of work to do.

 

 

On Aug 29, 2004, at 2:45 PM, Matt Bauer wrote:

 

>

 

 

 

" The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,

but because of the people who don't do anything about it. "

-- Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I agree with Z'ev's POV also. - Matt

-

Doc

Chinese Medicine

Sunday, August 29, 2004 4:02 PM

Re: Communists save a dying CM!

 

 

Thanks so much Z'ev for this comment (i am in very deep agreement with your

POV)

Doc Rosen

<zrosenbe wrote:Matt, Jason,

My hit on this issue has been colored by reading an early manuscript

of Kim Taylor's thesis, " Medicine of Revolution: in

Early Communist China " . In short, the Chinese developed a coherent

nationalized medical system out of the vast data of historical Chinese

medicine which reflected the society at large, its economics, culture

and political values of the era. The communist government resurrected

a dying medicine and gave it new life, but also remodeled it to fit the

needs of society.

 

There appears to be two broad points of view out there: 1) we

should follow the present TCM model developed in mainland China, it is

the medicine of China, they've done the work, we don't have the source

material available to do the same in the West. 2) TCM is overly

influenced by communist dogma, undervalues acupuncture, and edited out

the 'spiritual' aspects of the medicine.

 

My own feelings on this issue, which I think I share with Paul, is

that the Chinese have done what they felt they needed to do with the

vast, chaotic field of Chinese medical practices to suit their modern

society. We need to do the same, and for that, we need to access the

source materials, and learn some history as well as cultural context to

do so. This is very difficult, since few of us can read medical

Chinese, or have a broad enough base of literature to do the

synthesizing necessary. Also, it will take dedicated funding and

scholarship. At a more grass-roots level, I think we need to do it in

our day-to-day studies and practice. in order to succeed.

 

I don't think we can just copy the Chinese model outright, it won't

work here. Our society and its needs are different, and we don't have

a centralized hospital system to practice with. Certainly, the TCM

model will be one of our main sources, but we should be more

broadminded in developing CM in the West.

 

We've got a lot of work to do.

 

On Aug 29, 2004, at 2:45 PM, Matt Bauer wrote:

 

>

 

 

 

" The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are

evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. "

-- Albert Einstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Ron,

So nice to hear your voice again. I appreciate your comments as well.

 

Z'ev

On Aug 29, 2004, at 4:02 PM, Doc wrote:

 

> Thanks so much Z'ev for this comment (i am in very deep agreement with

> your POV)

> Doc Rosen

>