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I absolutely agree that reading the classics is necessary for the

practice of TCM. In fact I find them generally more readable- hence

useful- than many of the PRC texts. I agree with Zev that I would rather

be a first-rate zhong yi/Chinese medicine physician than a second-rate

western doctor. And Chinese is on my short list of additional languages

to learn because I'd like access to the journals (at my age the list

can't be too long!)

 

At the rate that US schools are turning out acupuncturists, I suspect

that there will be peer-reviewed journals in English soon. Bilingual

practicioners will be an essential bridge to communicating the medicine,

and I'd encourage practicioners to become proficient in Chinese (and

Japanese for that matter as there seems to be quite a bit of cutting edge

research published in that language.) I'm not sure Chinese is the

essential part of a doctoral program however desirable it may be.

 

(applicable herb rant follows:)

 

But I also find that practicioners and students alike are cut off from a

vast source of information which is directly applicable to TCM which

exists in English since Chinese names and arcane pharmaceutical Latin are

stressed. I'm an herbalist and was trained first in western herbs. I've

found that even good herbal practicioners, advanced MSTOM students and

even instructors often are unaware of the English or Latin binomial names

of herbs- herbs which they may have important contraindication

information about under the English names, but cannot access.

 

Botanical Latin, with reference to parts, not pharmaceutical Latin, is

the world standard as far as forms of reference and I hope those of you

who are professors will stress it. I've had exams where the root of

Rheum palmatum for Da Huang was considered incorrect and Herba Ephedra

sinica was marked wrong because Bensky doesn't include a binomial- as if

you could make Ma Huang Tang with Ephedra nevadensis (Mormon tea)!

 

There is a need for researching western herbs in terms of energetics,

channels and diagnostic categories within the emerging oriental medicine,

especially with China leading the world in species extinction. In the

American traditional herbal climate, local herbs are considered better

than imported herbs, and not without reason since the plants are subject

to the same stresses as the people and grow complimentarily. Without

better research though, new herbalists may try to make Ma Huang Tang with

E. nevadensis which won't effectively quicken lung qi and stop wheezing.

Or they may try to use poisonous astragalus species for Huang qi, or

cultivate Huang qi on soil too rich in selenium in irrigated Southern

California.

 

I want some of those doctoral students spending time on evaluating the

energetics of western herbs, comparing western-grown herbs to native

species from other countries and updating the materia medica to include

information known on both hemispheres.

 

Karen Vaughan

CreationsGarden

***************************************

Email advice is not a substitute for medical treatment.

We walk in the footsteps of those who came before us, leaving paths for

others to follow...

 

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Gee, just imagine if we (TCM) just got down to some serious study and

research. A real education and knowledge base freely exchanged. The cynic in

me sees the rules becoming political, schools ivory towers and elite,

research into phyto-pharmacutical standardized extract, the creating of

another secret language and ad nausea.

But this is our choice and our opportunity.

 

Ed Kasper, LAc.,

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It is bound to be an awkward transition. I don't believe that most of the teachers in this country are at a doctoral level, so, isn't it kind of a farce for the schools to issue doctorates without the majority of teachers themselves holding doctorates that mean something? I suppose this is unavoidable given the stage that we are at with the profession.

I did receive some negative feedback from practioners in other modalities, (chiropractic and naturopathic) where they smirked at the idea of a clinical doctorate that didn't require the basic sciences at a doctoral level.

 

My two cents,

 

Sean

Nashua, NH

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Karen,

I agree with you here. Pharmaceutical latin has outlived its

usefulness. Many Chinese herbs grown all around us, ignored because we

don't learn common names. I was also trained first in 'western' herbal

medicines, and in China, there are many local practitioners using

indigenous materials. Definately another important area to develop in our

fledgling medicine transplant.

>

>But I also find that practicioners and students alike are cut off from a

>vast source of information which is directly applicable to TCM which

>exists in English since Chinese names and arcane pharmaceutical Latin are

>stressed. I'm an herbalist and was trained first in western herbs. I've

>found that even good herbal practicioners, advanced MSTOM students and

>even instructors often are unaware of the English or Latin binomial names

>of herbs- herbs which they may have important contraindication

>information about under the English names, but cannot access.

>

>Botanical Latin, with reference to parts, not pharmaceutical Latin, is

>the world standard as far as forms of reference and I hope those of you

>who are professors will stress it. I've had exams where the root of

>Rheum palmatum for Da Huang was considered incorrect and Herba Ephedra

>sinica was marked wrong because Bensky doesn't include a binomial- as if

>you could make Ma Huang Tang with Ephedra nevadensis (Mormon tea)!

>

>There is a need for researching western herbs in terms of energetics,

>channels and diagnostic categories within the emerging oriental medicine,

>especially with China leading the world in species extinction. In the

>American traditional herbal climate, local herbs are considered better

>than imported herbs, and not without reason since the plants are subject

>to the same stresses as the people and grow complimentarily. Without

>better research though, new herbalists may try to make Ma Huang Tang with

>E. nevadensis which won't effectively quicken lung qi and stop wheezing.

>Or they may try to use poisonous astragalus species for Huang qi, or

>cultivate Huang qi on soil too rich in selenium in irrigated Southern

>California.

>

>I want some of those doctoral students spending time on evaluating the

>energetics of western herbs, comparing western-grown herbs to native

>species from other countries and updating the materia medica to include

>information known on both hemispheres.

>

>Karen Vaughan

>CreationsGarden

>***************************************

>Email advice is not a substitute for medical treatment.

>We walk in the footsteps of those who came before us, leaving paths for

>others to follow...

>

>______________

>YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!

>Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!

>Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:

>http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

>

>------

>LOW RATE, NO WAIT!

>Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds! Get rates

>as low as 2.9% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR and no hidden fees.

>Learn more at:

>http://click./1/937/6/_/542111/_/954632124/

>------

>

>Chronic Diseases Heal - Chinese Herbs Can Help

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Karen,

I agree with you here. Pharmaceutical latin has outlived its

usefulness. Many Chinese herbs grown all around us, ignored because we

don't learn common names. I was also trained first in 'western' herbal

medicines, and in China, there are many local practitioners using

indigenous materials. Definately another important area to develop in our

fledgling medicine transplant.

 

 

>

>But I also find that practicioners and students alike are cut off from a

>vast source of information which is directly applicable to TCM which

>exists in English since Chinese names and arcane pharmaceutical Latin are

>stressed. I'm an herbalist and was trained first in western herbs. I've

>found that even good herbal practicioners, advanced MSTOM students and

>even instructors often are unaware of the English or Latin binomial names

>of herbs- herbs which they may have important contraindication

>information about under the English names, but cannot access.

>

>Botanical Latin, with reference to parts, not pharmaceutical Latin, is

>the world standard as far as forms of reference and I hope those of you

>who are professors will stress it. I've had exams where the root of

>Rheum palmatum for Da Huang was considered incorrect and Herba Ephedra

>sinica was marked wrong because Bensky doesn't include a binomial- as if

>you could make Ma Huang Tang with Ephedra nevadensis (Mormon tea)!

>

>There is a need for researching western herbs in terms of energetics,

>channels and diagnostic categories within the emerging oriental medicine,

>especially with China leading the world in species extinction. In the

>American traditional herbal climate, local herbs are considered better

>than imported herbs, and not without reason since the plants are subject

>to the same stresses as the people and grow complimentarily. Without

>better research though, new herbalists may try to make Ma Huang Tang with

>E. nevadensis which won't effectively quicken lung qi and stop wheezing.

>Or they may try to use poisonous astragalus species for Huang qi, or

>cultivate Huang qi on soil too rich in selenium in irrigated Southern

>California.

>

>I want some of those doctoral students spending time on evaluating the

>energetics of western herbs, comparing western-grown herbs to native

>species from other countries and updating the materia medica to include

>information known on both hemispheres.

>

>Karen Vaughan

>CreationsGarden

>***************************************

>Email advice is not a substitute for medical treatment.

>We walk in the footsteps of those who came before us, leaving paths for

>others to follow...

>

>______________

>YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!

>Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!

>Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:

>http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

>

>------

>LOW RATE, NO WAIT!

>Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds! Get rates

>as low as 2.9% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR and no hidden fees.

>Learn more at:

>http://click./1/937/6/_/542111/_/954632124/

>------

>

>Chronic Diseases Heal - Chinese Herbs Can Help

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<< I did receive some negative feedback from practioners in other

modalities, (chiropractic and naturopathic) where they smirked at the

idea

of a clinical doctorate that didn't require the basic sciences at a

doctoral

level.>>

 

It is sad when access to basic sciences for acupuncture students is at

such a low level. Imagine biology, biochemistry, and biophysics without

laboratories or microscopes and anatomy and neurology without access to

laboratories or cadavers in this medical study! (And cadavers no longer

require refrigeration with the new acetone-transfer preservation

techniques. ) My high school biology and biochem exceeded the quality of

the professional level courses in those two subjects currently required,

(although high schools may no longer offer that quality.) And no botany

is required for herbology.

 

Many schools discourage students from leaving and taking " real " science

courses for transfer credit once they have started their acupuncture

programs. It would be much better if quality courses could be offered

within our schools where discussion of biomedical sciences could be

crossreferenced with TCM concepts.

 

Karen Vaughan

CreationsGarden

***************************************

Email advice is not a substitute for medical treatment.

We walk in the footsteps of those who came before us, leaving paths for

others to follow...

 

______________

YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!

Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!

Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:

http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

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