How Western is TCM?

May 17, 2008

On Sat, May 17, 2008 at 5:19 AM, <acuman1 wrote:

> While I am sure that the majority of CM docs in China are practicing a

> synthesis of WM/CM with the WM being drugs, perhaps due to the

> unavailability of

> nutritional supplementation information and products, and even less so

> homeopathy

>

Hi Dave,

This brings up a question that I've had recently. There are some scholars

and researchers who have stated that there was a significant " scientization "

of TCM as it was standardized by the government of the PRC.

While I see clues of this now and then, such as your statement about CM docs

using drugs and acupuncture or herbs side-by-side, overall I'm having

difficulty in getting exactly what it is about what TCM is now that has been

Westernized.

I wonder if you or Ming (or anybody on the CHA list) might be able to

present some examples of this?

One author even suggested that pattern differentiation didn't exist prior to

the creation of what is called " TCM " nowadays. That doesn't quite seem right

to me, Shang Han Lun for instance, is all about patterns, no?

Thanks.

-al.

--

, DAOM

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

May 17, 2008

Al,

Cleary there was pattern differentiation prior to TCM. The big distinction

people make is in regard to zang-fu pattern differentiation (Ôà¸±æÖ¤ zang

fu bian zheng). This did not occur in the Shang Han Lun/ Jin Gui. If my

memory serves me correctly, it first appeared around the 12th century and

was written about by Zhang Yuan-Su.

As far as westernization of TCM: While I agree that many things are the

same, i.e. lingo, there are many things that are different. Currently, I

have a hard time not seeing it, i.e. many doctor¡¯s formulas in China. This

topic has been very clearly articulated and researched by Volker Scheid.

Check out his books and articles. Volker¡¯s menopause article (JTCM?) is a

great place to start.

I think that if you are trained in modern times you are so inundated with

its influence it is hard to see outside the box. Reading more pre-modern and

classical material can help see how things were different in the past. I

also used to think there was not much difference, but it is all a matter of

degree. I now see much more variation. Consequently, I feel it is quite

weakening to CM. The caliber of education and hence newer doctors is

questioned by many older doctors. But there are always two sides to the

coin¡