WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE?
How does history impact the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine?
In order to fully understand the practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine, one must first understand the ancient teaching and beliefs that impact the approach to healing and disease in China. Overall, many Chinese teachings state that the human body is believed to be a “microcosm of the cosmos” which reflects the various interactions of nature in the world. In this section, I will explain how Taoism and Confucianism have played a role in shaping the traditional medical system in China.
Taoism: The effect of Taoism on traditional Chinese medicine can be best described as treating illness without medicine. Taoism focuses on the yin and yang balance of energy in the body and the environmental effects that are mirrored in humans. According to Taoism, illness and disease result from the imbalance of energy flow in the environment.
“The ten thousand things carry shade
And embrace sunlight.
Shade and sunlight, yin and yang,
Breath blending into harmony.” (Tao Te Ching, 42)
This quote from the Tao Te Ching exemplifies how nature and the human body are interconnected with the personification of the sunlight’s effects. In the book, the human body is never discussed as an individual thing - it is always discussed in terms of nature and the surrounding environment. In this quote from the Tao Te Ching, the human body is compared to the entire world and emphasizes how the body and the world should be treated the same way because they are reliant on each other.
“Respect the world as yourself:
The world can be your lodging.
Love the world as yourself
The world can be your trust.” (Tao Te Ching, 13)
This quote is explaining that the body should be treasured as you treasure the world around you and the world around you should be treasured as you treasure your body. Since the human body is a direct reflection of the surroundings, the surroundings should be respected and balanced with the same care that you would treat your own body in order to avoid disease-causing disturbances to the body.
These teachings of Taoism impact medicine
by teaching that all ailments should be
treated by approaching the cause of the
situation that is most likely rooted in the
environment. Traditional Chinese medicine
utilizes this belief by focusing on eliminating
causes of disease rather than focalizing the
ailment to the area displaying symptoms.
Confucianism: Confucianism is deeply rooted in the idea of respect and morality. As a teacher, Confucius held high moral standards for himself and all of his followers. When Confucius was asked by one of his followers “Is there any one word that can serve as a principle for the conduct of life?” Confucius replied with his most famous teaching
“Perhaps the word reciprocity: Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you” (XV:23).
According to Confucius, a society cannot function without the feeling of empathy and relation to others. These teachings impact the high moral standard that a medical professional is held to. The idea of filial piety also transcends into the medical ethical code as a professional is seen as serving the patient. Service to another person requires respect and understanding. Furthermore, Confucius taught the importance of benevolence. A doctor or medical professional is expected to treat those in their care with kindness and well-being. The word that summarizes this idea of kindness and well-being in Confucius’ teachings is “jen” which can be generally summarized as the idea of humanity. According to Confucius,
“Without humanity, a man cannot long endure adversity, nor can he long enjoy prosperity. The humane rest in humanity; the wise find it beneficial.” (IV:3)
This general idea of humanity and kindness further influences medical practices by influencing the main goal of medicine to be providing care that is rooted in a deeper moral belief of kindness. Confucius’ teachings have impacted the ethical standards that a medical provider must believe in - in order to be a moral member of society.
Confucius. Digital Image. The Chairman's Bao. https://www.thechairmansbao.com/introduction-to-confucius-and-teachings/
Tao Te Ching Cover. Digital Image. Life on a Planet. https://www.lifeonaplanet.com/tao-te-ching/
Current State of the Medical System in China
In the book “The Bridegroom” written by Ha Jin, there are a few outdated medical practices that are described in the story The Bridegroom. This book was published in the 2000’s when these practices were already deemed as unethical and outdated. In “The Bridegroom”, a young man is treated with electroshock therapy because of his homosexuality. Homosexuality in this book is viewed as a disease and is mistaken to be communicable “I didn’t touch the milk, unsure whether homosexuality was communicable.” (The Bridegroom, 109). This story shows the lack of education in rural China that eventually leads to ignorance. This story is not the most accurate representation of the efforts being made to modernize the Chinese Healthcare System. In this section, I will describe the most recent policies created by the Chinese government to aid and expand the medical system across all of China.
One of the biggest issues in Chinese healthcare was the lack of access to medical doctors and professionals in rural areas. This was solved by the implementation of barefoot doctors in these regions during Deng Xiaopings dynasty.
Eventually, the barefoot doctors program lost essential funds and those living in rural areas were left without access to care once again.However, with that a great reform of access to medical care began across the entire country. The Chinese government invested billions of dollars in developing medical centers in rural areas as well as developing medical insurance for everyone to reduce out of pocket spending on healthcare.
The Healthy China 2030 movement was the next part of the reform and it emphasizes prevention of disease and illness to reduce costs of healthcare. The goals of the Healthy China plan include decreasing the side effects of smoking, reducing obesity, and increasing physical activity in the population (https://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/9gchp/healthy-china/en/)
