Alternative Health Maintenance

The Western world has developed a very successful medical system that allows us to maintain good health and to treat diseases when they occur. Over time, a gigantic international medical establishment has evolved into a major component of the worldwide economy. This establishment includes the various medical professionals such as doctors, surgeons, specialists, nurses, hospitals and their administrations, physical therapists, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers of health supplements, manufacturers of medical equipment and accessories, etc., etc. Off hand I don't know the size of the total annual revenue of this establishment but it must be in the trillions of dollars.

I grew up in an Asian country at a time when the traditional Chinese "herb" medicine and doctors were the norm. The only time I remember going to a "Western doctor" at the age of about 10 was when I had my tonsil taken out. So even though I have been under the exclusive care of "Western doctors" for the past 60 years, I still remembers the time when I have to swallow some very, very bitter and strong smelling herbal medicine every time I got sick. Today, many people in China have accepted the "Western doctor" but many others are still sticking to the traditional "herbal" medicine as much as possible. I often wonder which one of these two medical regimes is better. After all, if the Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years and there are still so many Chinese living and kicking, it can't be that bad.

I don't have any medical training, Chinese or otherwise, so my medical knowledge is no better than that of a somewhat knowledgeable layman. I do read a lot about medical science though. And I realize that today, in this country, health care is becoming an ever heavier burden for the individual and the government. Many people can't even afford medical insurance. There might something wrong with this picture. I want to use these pages to express my feeling and thinking and to invite comments in an effort to find out whether we might need to modify the direction that our medical system is heading. Perhaps we should look at some alternatives.

I also want to make it clear that what I say in these pages is based on my understanding and make not be always correct or complete. In that case I am only too happy to be corrected by those who know better.

One major difference I have noticed between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine is that Western medicine is based on scientific research and emphasizes the use of chemical processes to produce medication that treat specific illnesses in specific parts of the body, i.e. if there is something wrong with the toe, treat the toe with medication; if there is something wrong with the ear, treat the ear with medication. In Chinese medicine, the belief is that the human body has a powerful defense system for warding off illnesses, and that illnesses are often caused by malfunctioning of this defense system. Therefore, it is more important to rectify the defense system than introducing some foreign matter to the body. To me, Chinese medicine seems to be based on empirical evidence than "scientific" evidence.

I recently read a book that makes a very interesting point about why Chinese medicine and Western medicine look at treating illnesses in different ways. It says that in the ancient time, Western scientists (must be in ancient Greece)created alchemy in an effort to create gold out of dirt. This launched the Western world in the direction of using chemical processes to find treatment for illnesses. Whereas in China, the emperors were always looking for ways to live forever. They dispatched their best medical talents to go to all over the country look for plants and other natural materials that produce a magic "xian dan" (magic pill) that will keep their bodies young. Hence the use of a variety of herbal ingredients in Chinese medicine. (Actually the term "herbal" is misleading because Chinese medicine uses not just herbs but also other plants, minerals, insects, animal parts...all that can be found in nature.)

In Chinese legends, before there was recorded history, there were four tribal leaders called Sui Ren, Sheng Nong, Fu Xi and You Chao. From the meaning of these Chinese names, it appears that Sui Ren (the firestone man) is the one who taught people to use fire; Fu Xi (the tamer)taught people to domesticate animals, You Chao (the Nest man) taught people to build shelter, and Sheng Nong (the divine farmer)is the one who taught people agriculture. Legends have it that Sheng Nong "tasted a hundred herbs," meaning that he tested all kinds of plant materials for their practical uses by his people. Sheng Nong therefore set off the desire of future Chinese emperors to try the "herbal" route for longevity, and would be the originator of Chinese medicine.

In the ensuing four thousand years or so, a lot of people must have gotten sick or die from taking the wrong plants for the wrong illnesses until the "doctors" figure out what medicine is right for what illness and in what dose, and what medicines can be combined to do some other jobs. Four thousand years is a lot of time to do these live experiments. Chinese doctors cannot use chemical formulas to show why certain herbs can do a certain job, although I believe a lot of work is being done in China today to find "scientific" explanation for the efficacy of many Chinese medicines. My question is: Why can't the best medical minds in the Western world also make an effort to help with this search?

I will continue with this monologue in future postings. I do hope that this posting can generate some discussions in the meantime.