Traditional Chinese Medicine Appreciation
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As part of my learning in 紫微斗数 (Zi Wei Dou Shu) or the Purple Star Astrology, we have to go thru a short course in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Basic taught in Chinese. Therefore I wishes to share with you the little TCM knowledge I have learn during the course by translating it into English. This may be pretty dry as it can become very theorical but I will try to make it livelier by adding some stories as I go along.
For all who knows, in 紫微斗数 (Zi Wei Dou Shu) chart, there is one palace known as the 疾厄宫 (Ji Er Gong) or the Health Palace. However there are 2 elements in this Palace, namely 疾 (Ji) as in 疾病 (Illiness) and 厄 (Er) as in 厄� (Misfortune). Thus the reason for the short TCM course. I will not dwell in the 紫微斗数 (Zi Wei Dou Shu) or the Purple Star Astrology here but only the TCM element.
Disclaimer :
I am NOT A QUALIFIED TCM PRACTICIONER thus the informations here is merely my understanding and for information only.
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There can be many form of medicine around but the 2 most orthodox school of medicine would be Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Both school has it strength and weakness.
For example, the strength of the Western Medicine lies in the "external school". Today, the Western Medicine is famous for its surgery and its "fast pace" medication to treatment with modern technologies, equipment and pharmical plant. Mediciation is in the form of pills, tablets and ready to drink liquid medicine without the need for the patient to process them before consumption. However it is often said that western medicine does not cure the source of the problem. 治镖�治本(zhi biao bu zhi ben).
There are 2 things in the TCM that baffered even the western medicine scientists. One is the Qi 精气å¦(Life) and the other is the Xue ç»�络å¦(acupoint). Today western medicine are studying in-depth into the secret of Xue and Acupunture. However TCM are often shunned by others because of the hassel of preparing the medicine and the "slowness" of the cure. But many failed to understand the concept of TCM being "going into the root cause". 病从潜ä¸åŒ»(Bing chong chien zhong yi)
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Ok, here's the 1st story before I go to bed.
Once, there was an emperor in China who invited a TCM physician to help him to cure his sickness. This physician was well know for his skill in TCM and his ability to cure even the dying èµ·æ»å›žç”Ÿ(Qi si hui sheng). After curing the emperor, the emperor asked the physician who taught him the skill in TCM. The physician replied that it was his father who taught him the skill.
Then the emperor asked if he was the only one taught by his father, he replied that his father taught him and his 2 elder brothers the skill. The emperor than asked why he was so famous while his brothers were virtually unknown and whether his father taught him the secret but not to his brothers.
To which he replied that the father taught them the same thing and that the best among them was his elder brother followed by his second brother. He was the worst among them. The emperor was puzzled and asked why his brothers were unknown if they were indeed better than him.
He told the emperor that his elder brother could diagnose the illness before it arise by just feeling the pulse therefore was able to prevent the illness from arising by medication. So no one fall sick under his care.
His second brother able to cure the illness with medication when the it arises thus he too was able to cure all his patients under his care. Only those who had not met his brothers and had his illness full blown and almost dying that comes to him for treatment. Thus he was famous because of that.
Moral of the story: Prevention is better than cure.
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Thanks! This is interesting reading~ I met a friend recently who shared with me her experience:
She was suffering from chronic backpain and went to the doctor who gave her all the MRI or Xray and the conclusion was she had a slip disc at her lower back. Despite the injections and pain killers and all, she still had a very severe pain but they didn't take her seriously - claiming that it was depression and even making comments like "you don't LOOK like you are in that much pain"
Eventually when they discharged her, she went to a TCM physician. The TCM physician checked her and told her she had another slip disc near her brain stem and it is extremely serious and in the end, actually called the ambulance for her to send her straight to the hospital. Then THIS TIME they did another xray or something for her upper back - then they found the 2nd slip disc...
so scary leh...
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well i'm running 4 weeks after a fracture thanks to the chinese physician!
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TCM in the States looks like a combination of western and chinese medicine. The chinese physician may take strands of your hair (from the scalp) for examination to diagnose your problem. After that, he may give you some chinese herbs. It's like using modern technology to diagnose and tcm to treat.
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Another point to add: the herbs used in TCM are not cheap in Singapore but they are comparatively cheaper in china.
..They're much more expensive compared to getting medication from the polyclinics in Singapore. -
Originally posted by dangerboi:
Another point to add: the herbs used in TCM are not cheap in Singapore but they are comparatively cheaper in china.
..They're much more expensive compared to getting medication from the polyclinics in Singapore.
but even in china nowadays, there have been tons of case where many TCM practicioner use fake chinese herbs... some of them even toxic... >___> -
Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
but even in china nowadays, there have been tons of case where many TCM practicioner use fake chinese herbs... some of them even toxic... >___>
MAny herbs banned in singapore due to toxicity. -
Yeah I always believe TCM is good to get to the root of the problem
Am on TCM now for my various problems and I'm better now
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Originally posted by elindra:
Yeah I always believe TCM is good to get to the root of the problem
Am on TCM now for my various problems and I'm better now
TCM I like too. -
Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
but even in china nowadays, there have been tons of case where many TCM practicioner use fake chinese herbs... some of them even toxic... >___>For your info, the PRC not only fake the chinese herbs but other products like milk powder and many others
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Originally posted by elindra:
Yeah I always believe TCM is good to get to the root of the problem
Am on TCM now for my various problems and I'm better now
The beauty of TCM . . .. is no or minimal side effects. -
Originally posted by we sacrifice:
The beauty of TCM . . .. is no or minimal side effects.
it's gradual -
You have to patient because the effects are not immediate
Also does not help that the medicine taste awful.
Just the other day Zora was telling me the Liang Cha “24 Wei” taste very terrible
When I tasted it, I found it tasted much better than the meds I’m currently taking >.<”
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Tcm is good, on the contary western medicine kills your cells.
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Originally posted by elindra:
You have to patient because the effects are not immediate
Also does not help that the medicine taste awful.
Just the other day Zora was telling me the Liang Cha “24 Wei” taste very terrible
When I tasted it, I found it tasted much better than the meds I’m currently taking >.<”
24 flavour tea to me is bitter - sweet like tat -
Originally posted by sbst275:
24 flavour tea to me is bitter - sweet like tat
I think it's very fragrantLOL
I tell you it's really very nice compared to the sewage mix I drink twice a day till I recover
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Originally posted by elindra:
I think it's very fragrantLOL
I tell you it's really very nice compared to the sewage mix I drink twice a day till I recover
I also love those tat's water chestnut based. -
Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
but even in china nowadays, there have been tons of case where many TCM practicioner use fake chinese herbs... some of them even toxic... >___>Yes....china is
don't wanna comment much. anyway, TCM is good though it treats a problem slowly. However, the prices of TCM in Singapore is
Talk about bird's nest, ginseng etc.There was 1 clinic that charges $5 a day for acne medication where you would have to take them for probably 3 months ..that's $450 and '$5' is 50% off..
..Again, I'm not comparing the benefits or disadvantages.I'm comparing about the price of such medicine..as more and more people turn to TCM, the prices of these TCM would
Money is indeed the root of all evil
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Actually I consider myself 'no use' (chinese), coz whatever liang teh, as long as got strong smell, i consider it as bitter >.<"
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A little history about TCM
TCM may have started before man was able to write. However on record, two well-known legends at the time were those of the Yellow Emperor whose name was Huang Di, and the Fire Emperor who was bestowed the title Shennong . Shennong has numerous meanings in Chinese such as "divine farmer", the "heavenly husbandman", and a more modern interpretation as a distinguished doctor. It is unclear whether these emperors actually existed but some historians date their existence back to 2500 to 2700BC.
Both of these important figures are the attributed author's of two well-known books that have contributed significantly to Traditional Chinese Medicine. These are the Huang Di Nei Jing(The Yellow Emperor's Medicine Classic) and the Shennong Bencaojing (Classic of Herbal Medicine). In actuality these books were written much later in history. It was common in ancient time's for the Chinese authors to assign authorship of books to the great teachers or important persons who influenced them.
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The Basic Principle of Yin Yang Theory and the Five Elements Theory in TCM
The basic principle of TCM lies with 阴阳 Yin Yang Theory and the 五行 Five Elements Theory. These theories form the core teaching of the Tao. The internal organs of the human should be considered as a whole and not an individual entities. Even as a whole, it can be divided into Yin and Yang. The Yin and Yang in the body balance and counter-balance each other to be in harmony. Thus that person can become healthy.
The human internal organs can be classified in � organs and 腑 "hollow organs" each with a Yin or Yang class forming a matter call 气 Qi and 血 Blood. <阴阳消长〉，<血气生化> When the Yin Yang are in harmony, the Qi and the Blood balance thus that person will be healthy. <阴阳失调，气血�和，百病乃�化而生> However when the Yin Yang are inbalance, the Qi and Blood are not in harmony, illlness will grow.
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Actually I think that the Chinese were advanced in operations and use of anesthesia till it was lost
There are historical records of Hua Tuo using really advanced anesthesia and surgery techniques for it's time but too bad it's all lost coz Cao Cao was an ass
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Originally posted by elindra:
Actually I think that the Chinese were advanced in operations and use of anesthesia till it was lost
There are historical records of Hua Tuo using really advanced anesthesia and surgery techniques for it's time but too bad it's all lost coz Cao Cao was an ass
China created lots of stuffs. However, once the stuffs were created, they were taken by foreigners to improvise. China shut off itself during the Mao days. Hence, it's like some sleeping dragon and now the dragon has awaken.
which is indeed There is a difference between the country and its people