Should China abandon Chinese medicine?

[Guest guest]

http://www.saukvalley.com/articles/2006/11/14/features/health_and_medical/292809835983434.txt#blogcomments Scholar tries to move China forward on medicine Wire Services SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE BEIJING - In the space of a few weeks, Zhang Gongyao has gone from a little-known scholar of medical history to one of China's most notorious intellectuals.Once accustomed to a low-key life at a provincial university in southern China, he now feels he must avoid the news media and is

nervous even about walking the streets in case he is recognized.It's all because he dared to question one of his country's most cherished beliefs: Chinese traditional medicine.Zhang's comments have provoked a storm of protests and a national debate. He has been cursed on Web sites, denounced as a traitor and subjected to scornful attacks by the Chinese government.This is a country where traditional medicine has become a patriotic symbol. It is enshrined in the country's constitution, taught in universities and protected by government agencies. It has become a $10-billion industry - representing a quarter of the entire medical system - with an estimated 300 million customers every year Read entire article at link above: The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the

view of saukvalley.com. Jagannath Chatterjee wrote on November 16, 2006 2:13 AM:"I am from India. While the Chinese are debating shifting from Chinese medicine to Western medicine, we Indians are seriously contemplating shifting from Western medicine to our own herbo-mineral mix, ayurveda. Never in history has India been so besotted with health problems as it is now under almost eight decades of largely Western medicine. Chemical drugs, antibiotics, vaccines, chemotherapy, radiation, ART drugs are playing havoc and there is rarely a person left untouched. Diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular problems, lung disease, asthma, eczema etc have taken epidemic proportions. Children are falling prey to autism, ADHD,

PDDs, infantile diabetes, cancers and are the sickest in known memory. I would caution the Chinese to think twice before abandoning their ancestral medicine chest. Science is good for machines but bad for man and nature as the whole world is waking up to today." "I am, and have been for years a confirmed anti-vaccinationist. I have not the least doubt in my mind that vaccination is a filthy process that is harmful in the end" - Mahatma Gandhi (Koren Publications Inc.)

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[Guest guest]

The wording is betraying the reporter's biases.

 

I know that all too often in the US reporters don't bother to

research scientific or medical topics but go with whatever industry

or the government hands them. A very good example of this is

the " reporting " on CFIDS/ CFS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction

Syndrome). Most insurnace companies have a reneging clause in their

disability policies that state that they only have to pay disability

for 2 years if a condition is psychological. So the insurance

industry mounted a very well-orchestrated campaign to fool the

public and doctors into believing CFIDS is psychological. By doing

this they've made a lot more profits than they would have. Many of

the " treatments " they push for CFIDS not only don't work, some of

them make PWCs (People With CFIDS) sicker.

 

The government doesn't want to pay disability claims either. Plus,

all too often in the US politicians do what lobbyist pay them to do,

not what's best for Americans. Insurance isn't the only industry

that stands to lose profits when it comes to CFIDS. There could be a

number of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and chemical

companies. Also, some of these companies would be forced to phase

out some of their big money makers. (Certain anesthesias trigger

CFIDS in susceptible individuals. So can certain chemicals.)

 

The article sounds to me like certain industries aren't satisfied

with just a share of the Chinese market but want it all. Also they

fear a loss of market share in other countries that discover TCM and

how well it works.

 

In order to know what Zhang actually wrote plus the Chinese's

reaction to it, one would have to read Chinese or find a trustable

translator.

 

Jagannath Chatterjee wrote:

>

>

http://www.saukvalley.com/articles/2006/11/14/features/health_and_medical/292809\

835983434.txt#blogcomments

>

<http://www.saukvalley.com/articles/2006/11/14/features/health_and_medical/29280\

9835983434.txt#blogcomments>

>

> Scholar tries to move China forward on medicine

>

> Wire Services

>

> SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

>

> BEIJING - In the space of a few weeks, Zhang Gongyao has gone from a

> little-known scholar of medical history to one of China's most

> notorious intellectuals.

>

> Once accustomed to a low-key life at a provincial university in

> southern China, he now feels he must avoid the news media and is

> nervous even about walking the streets in case he is recognized.

>

> It's all because he dared to question one of his country's most

> cherished beliefs: Chinese traditional medicine.

>

> Zhang's comments have provoked a storm of protests and a national

> debate. He has been cursed on Web sites, denounced as a traitor and

> subjected to scornful attacks by the Chinese government.

>

> This is a country where traditional medicine has become a patriotic

> symbol. It is enshrined in the country's constitution, taught in

> universities and protected by government agencies. It has become a

> $10-billion industry - representing a quarter of the entire medical

> system - with an estimated 300 million customers every year

>

> Read entire article at link above:

> The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they

> represent the view of saukvalley.com.

>

> Jagannath Chatterjee wrote on November 16, 2006 2:13 AM: " I am from

> India. While the Chinese are debating shifting from Chinese medicine

> to Western medicine, we Indians are seriously contemplating shifting

> from Western medicine to our own herbo-mineral mix, ayurveda. Never in

> history has India been so besotted with health problems as it is now

> under almost eight decades of largely Western medicine. Chemical

> drugs, antibiotics, vaccines, chemotherapy, radiation, ART drugs are

> playing havoc and there is rarely a person left untouched. Diabetes,

> cancer, cardiovascular problems, lung disease, asthma, eczema etc have

> taken epidemic proportions. Children are falling prey to autism, ADHD,

> PDDs, infantile diabetes, cancers and are the sickest in known memory.

> I would caution the Chinese to think twice before abandoning their

> ancestral medicine chest. Science is good for machines but bad for man

> and nature as the whole world is waking up to today. "

>

>

> " I am, and have been for years a confirmed anti-vaccinationist. I have

> not the least doubt in my mind that vaccination is a filthy process

> that is harmful in the end " - Mahatma Gandhi (Koren Publications Inc.)

>

>

> Check out the all-new Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful email

> and get things done faster.

>

>

[Guest guest]

The nature of Western medicine - it's young, it's best

in acute case responsive to artifical chemicals and

surgery - naturally attracts those interested in

power. Some people know that power is best used in

service to other values, but power also attracts the

power-hungry.

 

Holistic medicine tends to attract those who better

appreciate complexities and subtleties.

 

The former tends to attract the young, the latter

tends to attract the older and more mature doer and

thinker.

 

For those of us who understand philosophy, debate

and/or politics, that helps us understand what we are

dealing with in these sorts of debates.

 

And the fact that the power-hungry feel so threatened,

despite their claims to power, is also revealing about

the true value of that which has already been proven

by time and trials.

 

For those who prefer a clearer expression, anyone

advocating abandoning methods and treatments which

help so many, and help some of us when nothing else

does, is NUTS.

 

-- Catherine