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Chinese Medicine Liberation: Starter

http://www.chineseclassics.org/liberation.html 1

Yaron Seidman

Zac Patterson & Lois Nethery




Bonus articles for the book Chinese Medicine Liberation: Inner Documents



Copyright 2015 by Yaron Seidman.

All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Chinese Medicine Liberation: Starter Y. Seidman Editors, co-authors: Zac Patterson, Lois Nethery Published by: Hunyuan Group Inc. Greenwich, Connecticut, USA Email: [email protected] Website: http://chineseclassics.org/liberation.html



The Liberation of Chinese Medicine

After the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China, under the leadership of the brilliant leader chairman Mao, the three grand health policies were put forth: Chinese and Western medicine must unite; prevention is the focus; and gearing towards workers, peasants and soldiers.

Chinese medicine advanced studies schools and specialty advanced classes were established. These remolded Chinese medicine and cultivated Chinese medicine. Other Chinese medicine research organizations were also established. They researched Chinese medicine and, at last, Chinese medicine could free itself.

It stripped itself from the feudal smelting and from the capitalist shackles. It strode towards the great path of a scientific new China, a scientific medicine.1

1 Beijing Chinese Medicine (periodical), 1952 June 15th (1st volume 3rd publication)



To the Chinese medicine community

Yaron: The following three articles are not included in Chinese Medicine Liberation: Inner Documents. We have created this free PDF to circulate

throughout the TCM community, to allow each and every practitioner to contemplate the beginning of TCM in the 20th century.

From the time of the Republic and throughout the early communist decades, much took place that transformed Chinese medicine. The first shakedown of

Chinese medicine begins here. I hope we can all contemplate it together.

Nearly one thousand more pages of articles, excerpts and debates are included in our book and we invite you to join us in the process of Chinese

medicine liberation in the 21st century.

http://www.chineseclassics.org/liberation.html

A word to the authority

February 1937 by The Editor

Compilation of Discussions about Chinese Medical Education

Yaron: The following three articles date from early 1937. By this stage, Chinese medicine had suffered decades of uncertainty, abolition attempts, contempt, ridicule and exclusion. In 1936, Chinese medicine finally and for the first time in

the 20th century had gained legal status. Practitioners were delightedbut it came at what cost? These articles allow us a short glimpse into the

transformation and pressure that Chinese medicine practitioners faced at that time.

Pages 464473

In the Third Plenary Session, 53 commissaries including Jiao Yitang have suggested the Ministry of Education to integrate Chinese medicine into the education system so that Native medicine schools can be built under legal regulations. Besides Jiao and Li Zonghuang , 37 other commissaries have also put forward a bill calling for equality between Chinese and Western medicine doctors. Not only are Chinese medicine doctors and pharmacists thrilled to hear about these but also the general public, who is concerned about the development of Chinese medicine, is excited too. We hope that the authority will not let us down or let the efforts of the commissaries go in vain.

I have checked the resolution of the two bills. The former was sent to the Central Political Committee for further discussion and the latter for their reference. It is another matter how



they will discuss and decide a solution for the first bill, but at least they show their sincerity. As for the second proposal, the phrase "for reference" is too ambiguous. It is doubtful that the bill will be implemented; how can we move to further discuss other questions? Moreover, this is the second time we have proposed this bill. The first time was in the Fifth National Assembly .2 Now that the Third Plenary Session 3 is coming to an end, every bill will be discussed and executed by the Central Political Committee. We, Chinese medicine doctors, will provide all necessary assistance to the authority.

In fact, many have already pleaded for the inclusion of Chinese medicine into the education system long ago. As early as 1914, when Wang Dafan was still the Secretary of Education, the Medical Association of Beijing had sent representatives to discuss the matter with Wang. Wang replied: I have already decided to abrogate the use of Native medicine as well as Native materia medica. I am afraid I cannot accept your application. The determination of the Ministry of Education to wipe out Chinese medicine was clear. Not long thereafter, Chinese medicine doctors from all over the country gathered to set up a Chinese Medicine Rescue Group and sent representatives to the State Council and various ministries to petition for preserving Chinese medicine.

Here is the reply from the State Council: Native medicine has a long and ancient history. With its organised and systematic structure, it has become a specialised field in science and has continued to be valued by our fellow citizens. The reason why our national medical curriculum has only included Western medicine is that it takes a long time to integrate both medical practices. Eliminating Chinese medicine was not on the agenda since the very beginning. We can see from this reply how the government changed its stance on the issue after the petition of our scholars but we still cannot see any possibility for accepting our proposal.

In 1925, the Chinese Education Progress Society and Chinese Medicine Progress Research Association had a joint meeting in Taiyuan . The bill was discussed and passed in that meeting. In the same year, China National Education Federation held likewise a meeting in Changsha and the bill was passed once more. It is really disappointing that the Ministry of Education has never taken it into action.

Since the Central Hygiene and Health Conference 4 proposed to eliminate Chinese medicine as well as Chinese pharmacology in a meeting in 1929, many Chinese medicine practitioners became agitated. They gathered from all around China and launched an appeal to the government. Mr. Jiang, the chairman of the Committee, finally repealed what has been discussed before and announced the setup of the Central Native Medicine Bureau

2 Kunmintang Fifth National Assembly was held November 12th-22nd, 1935 in Nanjing. 3 Kunmintang Third Plenary Session was held in February 15th, 1937 in Nanjing . 4 Was held in Nanjing from February 23rd26th, 1929.



in the capitol with commissary Jiao Yitang as its President.5 This may seem to be the dawn of a new era for Chinese medicine but until now, the efforts of the commissaries including Jiaos effort did not yield any substantial achievements. Well then, does Chinese medicine deserve to have the two bills passed? My arguments are summarised into four perspectives:

1. Academic:

Now most people classify Western medicine as science and Chinese medicine as philosophy. Still, I think it is possible to incorporate elements of science into philosophy through scientific means. The Prime Minister once said, Everyone knows that Germany is the most advanced country in terms of scientific development. Even so, scholars in Germany know that they have to study Chinese philosophy to supplement what is missing in their science. Looking at how the foreigners treasure our legacy, how can we abandon our own traditional wisdom? Is that what the Prime Minister wants to see? It is true that Chinese medicine focuses more on philosophical perspectives. This is no doubt its weak point but, at the same time, it is also its strength. We can use science to supplement it. In order to do so, we have to build schools and train talented persons. This is the first reason why Chinese medicine deserves to have the bills passed.

2. Effectiveness:

Action speaks louder than words. No matter how people criticize Chinese medicine theories, its effectiveness is indisputable. Looking at the vast territory and huge population of our country, if not due to Chinese medicine our nation would already been wiped out by deadly infectious diseases. This is one point. Another point is that if Chinese medicine were ineffective it would have been eliminated long ago and could not have sustained itself up to today. In terms of its effectiveness, Chinese medicine deserves to be advocated.

3. Economic:

Since imports of Western drugs began in recent years, it has cost us many billions. Is this not connected to our economy? In addition, there are more than ten million people in our country making a living by trading Chinese herbs. Western drugs have already become a more popular option than Chinese herbs, even without any advocacy. It is not difficult to imagine the huge impact on peoples livelihood when Chinese pharmacology is abrogated. This is the third reason why we should promote Chinese medicine.

5 Took place August 31st, 1931 while promulgating two items of legislation: Central Native Medicine Bureau Regulations and Central Native Medicine Bureau Local Branches Outline .



4. Global trend:

Consider our eastern neighbour: Japan. Since the Meiji restoration era they abolished Han medicine . However, this act was heavily criticized by scholars in modern days and so they revived Han medicine in Japan and formed the Asian Medical Association 6 and other research centres of Han medicine at universities. Japan treats it as a national treasure. Some scholars in America also study Chinese medicine after they witnessed the effects of Ma Huang in asthma treatment. These are some examples how others value Chinese medicine. If we do not invest effort into promoting Chinese medicine now, after a few decades we might have to learn from foreigners what should have been ours. Isnt that ironic? We therefore urge the authority to recognize the need to integrate Chinese medicine into the education system and equalize the status of Chinese and Western doctors. This would not only demonstrate the spirit of our nation but also preserve the essence of both Western and Chinese cultures.

(Retrieved from Tianjin Yishibao )

Huang Zhuzhai , one of the members of the Chinese Medicine Committee 19351937 [http://baike.baidu.com/view/1383886.htm]

6 Established in 1927.



The pros and cons of integrating Chinese medicine into the

education system

March 1937 by Wei Zhong

Yaron: Despite decades of struggle and finally winning legal status, Chinese medicine still faced a practical problem: how to reintegrate itself into a

country ever more modernized? How to adapt itself to a new societal reality where modern is always valued more highly?

The Third Plenary Session is responsible for resolving many matters, one of which is the bill proposing the integration of Chinese medicine into the official education system, now sent to the Central Political Committee for further discussion. This, no doubt, is a dream come true for all Chinese medicine doctors and their supporters. Even though a detailed discussion is still needed for the implementation, the principle outline has already been laid out.

Those who are against the integration argue that medicine should progress with time. Chinese medicine is obsolete and should not be placed alongside science-based medicine. They claim that since the education system is the pillar of a nation, we should not allow the outdated and mystical medicine to coexist with the scientific new medicine. If you take a look at newspapers and magazines from the past few years, you can certainly find many similar arguments.

For those who are in favour of the integration, their only supporting argument is that Chinese medicine has a long and extended history. It was passed down from generation to generation since the time of Qi Bo until today. As to the issue of reforming Chinese medicine, some preach that modern science should be used as a reference and that some valuable parts of Western medicine should be integrated into Chinese medicine.

Before the bill was passed, the opposing party strongly resisted the idea of integration while the supporting party continued to pray for the reform. After passing the bill, however, the opposition dared not say a word because the final decision was made by the ruling Party. And of course, on the other hand, the supporters cheered and hailed; they saw that their dreams had finally come true. I also congratulated them that their efforts did not go in vain.

Nonetheless, still I am worried and doubtful that Chinese medicine will be integrated into the education system. I briefly describe my doubts in the following paragraphs.

One question we have to think about is whether Chinese medicine should be a one-year or a two-year program? If it is a one-year program, should it be considered as a specialised school or a university program? Regardless of the answers to these questions, one thing we are sure of, for the sake of preserving and promoting our precious gemtraditional Chinese medicineit



should be classified as higher education and not as secondary education or vocational training such as that of midwives.

Students nowadays spend six years in primary education and another six years in secondary education before they move on to higher education. Needless to say, the curricula of primary and secondary education are very similar, facilitating the transition. Similarly, the subjects in secondary schools are closely related to different majors in universities so that students can learn new things by linking to and building on prior knowledge. For example, history and similar subjects are related to various social science majors; biology, mathematics and other science subjects are crucial to majors like science, medicine and agriculture.

Up to today, curricula and standards of medical education are formulated based on the ultimate goal of training students to become professional physicians. Currently, hygiene classes in junior secondary grade have already adopted the new science theory. Although there are no more hygiene classes in senior secondary grade, those who enter medical schools should already have some knowledge of human anatomy and physiology and even some basic understanding of etiology and prevention of disease so they are not lost when they study basics of medicine. What they learnt in science lessons in both secondary school and university could be even more useful. Nevertheless, this only applies to Western medicine students and not to Chinese medicine students. After the integration, schoolsbe it universities or specialised schoolsshall introduce a new curriculum of Chinese medicine. For those who choose this major of study, what they have learnt in secondary schools, except Chinese writing, history and geography, seem to have no relation whatsoever to Chinese medicine. Some subjects of Western medicine like anatomy might be helpful to Chinese medicine, but most of them arent. Whats more, jargons like Qi transformation and five elements cannot even be seen in primary or secondary school textbooks.

Here comes the question: should we reform the curricula of our primary and secondary schools as well? As an alternative, we can add new subjects such as Tang Tou Ge Jue 7 to prepare students who would like to study Chinese medicine in the future. Some say that these subjects can be electives where they can choose between those and the science subjects. Some disagree, saying that it would be a good opportunity for the modernization of Chinese medicine. They bluster that subjects like chemistry, biology and science are also necessary for those students who would like to study Chinese medicine at university level. Maybe it would be even better if those who study Chinese medicine are those who excel in science as well. Here comes the second question: will these students feel disoriented when they study Chinese medicine, for they have in-depth and concrete knowledge in science?

7 Text teaching herbal formulas published in 1694 by Wang Ang .



Perhaps not, but who is going to compile and edit the textbooks for Chinese medicine in college? Some say that classics like Ling Shu , Su Wen , Shang Han Lun and Ben Cao are themselves excellent textbooks. Some argue that the students might be doubtful if these outdated publications are used as textbooks. Even if they have faith in these materials, would it be possible for them to abdicate their now-scientific-oriented mind and think purely from the perspectives of five elements and Qi? If they are doubtful of the materials, how can they become the talents that we are looking for?

Some people suggest that a number of subjects in Chinese medicine schools should adopt modern scientific theories including microbiology, physics and so on and that we should assimilate the strength of Western medicine. This question remains to be answered by the government.

From here on, further related problems arise and require solutions. They are listed below:

1. Schools, the army and the government shall recruit both Chinese medicine doctors and Western medicine doctors to avoid discrimination against Chinese medicine.

2. Hospitals in all provinces, cities and counties shall either incorporate Chinese and Western medicine, or have the two completely separated.

3. Health professionals at all levels shall include both Chinese and Western medicine doctors.

4. Chinese herbs shall be added into the Pharmacopoeia of China or compiled into a new pharmacopoeia called The Herbal Pharmacopoeia of China , with the modern one renamed as the Western Pharmacopoeia of China .

5. Other than modern pharmacology schools , we shall establish schools for Chinese medicine pharmacology in order to distinguish itself from Western pharmacology schools. Or we can rename the modern pharmacology schools as School of pharmacy in Western medicine in order to distinguish the two.

Other doubts include:

1. Can Chinese and Western medicine integrate in all aspects in the future?

2. In the future, can Chinese medicine research undergo scientification?

3. Will the future generation of Chinese medicine doctors outshine the so-called Native doctors of the present?

4. Does it take millennia for the world to recognize the efficacy of Chinese medicine?

5. Is there any chance that, one day, we will no longer need to differentiate medical doctors into Chinese and Western?



I studied science when I was young so I grew up as a believer in scientific medicine. (Until now, Chinese medicine still remains a mystery to me. Even if Chinese medicine is a better form of medicine than the Western one, I still believe in scientific medicine because I do not know the mechanism behind Chinese medicine. I dare not say how delicious a cake is before I have actually tasted it.) But now, as Chinese medicine has integrated into the education system, its efficacy should not be questioned. It is a real pity that I cannot sit in a class due to my old age. How I wish I was born 20 years ago. I read an article written by Hu Dingan some years ago which was published in a newspaper. I could not find the original copy nor remember the title of the article but I can still recall the gist of his articlehe persuades high school graduates not to study Chinese medicine at university. I think this was inappropriate. Even before the article was published, graduates opting to study Chinese medicine were only a minority. In the future, when Chinese medicine has officially integrated into the education system, who is to judge whether graduates would like to pursue Chinese medicine as their future career? Just think about that, if someone would write an article urging students to study Chinese medicine instead of Western medicine, how would it be then?

(Retrieved from New Medicine and Society )



How can Chinese medicine integrate into the education

system?

April 1937 by Hua Xinren

Yaron: There was only one possible solution: either become like modern science or cease to exist. In these three articles, we hope to show the tip of

the iceberg, to stimulate curiosity as to what has shaped the modern TCM with which we are so familiar.

Chinese Medicine Liberation: Inner Documents traces Chinese medicines very first encounters with modern medicine during the final years of the Qing

dynasty, through the turbulent events of the Republic years and into the ever more dramatic policies of the Communist era. We can see how issues that

confronted practitioners in earlier times continued to arise again and again as successive interest groups and governments attempted to place Chinese

medicine within the larger global context of science-based medicine.

Today we can ask ourselves whether these issues have actually been addressed once and for alland if not, then what might this mean for the

stability of our profession and its contribution to the world? While we can be proud of Chinese medicines achievements in the modern healthcare setting, knowing what has brought us here may help us to define the best direction for

our future.

At first, there was no such thing as Chinese Medicine Committee among the highest ranks of the central government. This was one reason why conflict continued between Chinese and Western medicine doctors. Now that the Chinese Medicine Committee was established, with renowned doctors as committee members and after much advocacy and petition, the body should make huge contributions to the improvement and progression of Chinese medicine. (See the speech delivered by director Liu Ruiheng )

There should be no boundaries in the academic arena. There is no need to draw a line between Western and Chinese medicine. It is a real pity that such things have happened in our country before. In the speech made by the director Mr. Liu Ruiheng during the inauguration ceremony of the Chinese Medicine Committee members, he made the following comment: Now that the Chinese Medicine Committee is established, we should make a concerted effort to regulate and promote Chinese medicine. As we are now in the twentieth century, the age of science, we should adopt scientific principles and logical methods to regulate Chinese medicine. We can deduce from the above quote that Chinese medicine is lagging behind and illogical . Thus, we have to opt for scientific means to manage and promote it. The establishment of the Chinese Medicine Committee, therefore, has a considerable number of responsibilities and duties.



Why is there a need to restructure Chinese medicine? We can simply say that Chinese medicine is illogical in its theories and non-scientific in terms of diagnoses . Medicine is never a study that can be mastered easily. I dont think that reading a few books on Chinese materia medica would qualify one to become a doctor. Secret prescriptions handed down from ancestors are nothing more than eye-catching slogans and the five elements and six climates is simply superstition. For those who call themselves doctors but, in reality, only know little about medicine, it is extremely dangerous to try and treat patients. Hence, the government should put more effort into reforming the industry as this is seriously a life-threatening matter.

Medicine as a whole should not be differentiated into Western and Chinese. The reason for what is unfolding now is that one of the medicines has developed from pure scientific methods, hence it is progressing at an incomparable pace while the other is still lingering over its metaphysical theories which is leading its ongoing regression. Now that the Central Health Department has established the Chinese Medicine Committee with a task to reform the Chinese medicine industry, I really have no idea whether this is for better or worse.

How can we integrate Chinese medicine into our education system? This question is worth discussing. In the Third Plenary Session, this question has already passed on to the Executive Council to come up with a solution. At the Chinese Medicine Committee meeting held on 10th March, one of the committee members proposed that Chinese medicine should be integrated into the education system after reaching a certain standard. My opinions on this matter are summarised as follows:

A. The curriculum.

If we have to integrate Chinese medicine into our education system, which kind of curriculum should it have? Should it be vocational training? Or should it be a specialised course at the university? The value of Chinese medicine may be underrated if it is considered as mere vocational training. How about secondary education? Well, it does not seem to be appropriate as secondary education as it requires an in-depth and specialised foundation of knowledge. Should it be part of the tertiary education system then? I think students may become confused when they begin to learn five elements and six climates since they have taken courses on physics, chemistry and biology in secondary school before. There is one thing the committee members should know: science and philosophy are like oil and water. They simply dont mix. In case anyone is not sure what science is all about, you can find it out easily if you repeat secondary school education. I have a friend who enrolled in a Chinese medicine school after he graduated but he quit one year later. This is a good example which proves my point above.



B. The standardization of curriculum and teaching materials.

We had a discussion on this during the Chinese Medicine Committee meeting. Regarding the education system of our country at the moment, we have the Medical Education Council under the Ministry of Education to handle such related issues. However, when we plan for the curriculum of Chinese medicine, should we set up another statutory body, say the Chinese Medicine Education Council, to handle the matters regarding the curriculum? If so, what will be included in the syllabus? Are there enough materials for a course with a span of four to five years? We know that there are three main purposes for launching medical education programmes. They are:

1. For knowledge, which contributes to the development of pure science.

2. For practical need, which contributes to the development of specialised technology.

3. For demand and supply, which contributes to the development of applied science.

Looking into our curriculum, we already have hygiene classes and physiology in primary and secondary schools. They are considered as part of the general education. Biology, chemistry and physics taught in high school are closely related to medical studies at university. If we list Chinese medicine as a course at university, how can we help students to learn those concepts such as the five elements and six climates and classics like Tang Tou Ge Jue , Lingshu Suwen , Shang Han Lun and Ben Cao ? Students have studied science in secondary education; how can they take a step back and examine these new notions when they enter university? In case Chinese medicine really does integrate into tertiary education, it is better to restructure the curricula of primary and secondary education altogether by reintroducing the study of classics and adopt the education system from Ming and Qing Dynasties.

C. The integration of Western and Chinese medicine.

This problem is becoming more and more serious. At the moment, all courses in medical schools such as microbiology and clinical diagnoses are based on science. Can these courses blend well with Chinese medical theories like Yin Yang and five elements? I am not sure whether those who are in favour of the integration have any detailed plan on the actual implementation of the proposal. For me, I believe doctors who are trained under this model would become neither fish nor fowl. Anyways, these are only some of my worries. And many of the problems described above might never happen.

(Retrieved from Da Gong Yi Kan )



From the back cover of

Chinese Medicine Liberation: Inner Documents

In this collection of articles and excerpts, contemporary practitioners of Chinese medicine can enter into the important debates of Chinese medicines encounters with modern science in the 20th century. From the relative freedom of enquiry during the Nationalist years to the enforced doctrine of the Communist era, these documents unveil the transformation of clinical practice and the transmission of knowledge into something quite unlike the Chinese medicine that was left behind.

Investigation into these once-prohibited domains affords new opportunities to develop Chinese medicine in ways that were simply not possible during the Communist oppression only decades ago. We must not remain in the confines of the new world medicine of the 1950s, tied to dialectic materialism and Marxist social order. With unprecedented access to information, political freedom and the capacity to engage in real-time international discussions, now is a time ripe with promise for all practitioners to develop the precious essence of Chinese medicine in order to deeply enhance the practice of medicine worldwide.

For further information Please visit the website www.chineseclassics.org/liberation.html to see the books Preface, Foreword (by historian Sean Hsiang-lin Lei) and Table of Contents.

Orders can be placed directly at the Chinese Medicine Liberation website.

Please email Dr Yaron Seidman for all enquiries and comments: [email protected]



About the Hunyuan Research Institute

The Hunyuan Research Institute was founded in the USA by Dr. Yaron Seidman D.A.O.M., drawing Chinese medicine practitioners from around the world who together develop and uphold the life principle of Chinese medicine. Today, local Hunyuan Research Institutes spring forth in countries all around the world, bringing the message of Hunyuan medicine to practitioners and patients on every continent.

The purpose of Hunyuan is to re-establish Chinese medicine as a life principle medicine, a medicine that can supplement and better the modern materialistic view of healthcare, disease and remedies.

Fellows of the Institute now include senior Chinese medicine practitioners who have been practicing TCM for decades, senior Western medicine doctors, new graduates from TCM schools, other professionals and lay people who want to learn and understand more about their own life and health.

Hunyuan medicine is deeply rooted in the Chinese medicine classics, but it is neither limited to nor confined by them. Hunyuan medicine involves researching forward and developing life principle in order to reach the deepest understanding of why and how we live, the source of disease and the best approach to remedy it.

In a world where a new connectedness to nature consciousness is developing, the Hunyuan Research Institute finds itself on the forefront of remaking a materialistic TCM into a life medicine; a Hunyuan medicine.

Websites:

http://www.ChineseClassics.org

http://www.HunyuanInstitute.com

http://www.Hunyuan.org

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