A Handbook of Chinese Hematology: Book Review

[Guest guest]

A Handbook of Chinese Hematology by Simon Becker, Blue Poppy Press, ISBN

1-891845-16-0, is one of those books that seeks to build a bridge between

TCM and Western medicine.

 

The first part of the book deals with the Western definition of blood. I

can recommend this section for anyone who is premed or who will be taking

anatomy and physiology to become a nurse, a lab technician, etc. It goes

into the types of blood cells, the physiology of how they originate in the

body, what blood does from the Western standpoint, and what various lab

tests of blood mean. Most people won't absorb all the information in this

section at one sitting - or even several - but if one wants to learn about

blood from the Western standpoint, this is one place to do it.

 

The next chapter deals with " Chinese Medicinals in the Treatment of Blood

Diseases. " This chapter contains some pluses even for those who have copies

of Chinese Materia Medicas (books of healing substances used in TCM) in that

it goes into some specific effects that TCM herbs have on blood. This is

information above and beyond what is commonly found in a Materia Medica, and

it's specific to blood disorders.

 

As you read this chapter, keep in mind that doctors in China are not

ignorant of Western anatomy and physiology or Western-defined medical

problems. It's their research and studies which are making books like this

possible.

 

There is a brief chapter on " Acupuncture in the Treatment of Blood Diseases "

though Becker makes it plain throughout the chapter that this is NOT the

treatment of blood disorders in China. When it is used, it's strictly

experimental and used as an adjunct to herbal therapies.

 

The second part of the book goes into the details of the TCM Roots which may

be present in various Western-defined blood disorders.

 

I want to point out for those new to TCM that TCM syndromes very rarely

correspond to Western-defined medical conditions, and blood disorders are no

exception. What TCM healers analyze and treat are TCM imbalances, NOT

Western-defined medical conditions.

 

Take the example of iron deficiency anemia. A person who receives a Western

diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia from a Western physician may have one or

more of several different TCM syndromes. These are 1. Spleen-Stomach

Vacuity (Deficiency) Weakness pattern, 2. Qi and Blood (the TCM definition

of Blood, not the Western definition of blood) Dual Vacuity (Deficiency)

pattern, 3. Liver Blood Insufficiency pattern, 4. Spleen-Kidney Yang Vacuity

(Deficiency) Pattern, 5. Blood Vacuity with Fire & Dryness pattern, 6.

Liver-Kidney Depletion & Detriment with Non-transformation of Blood by

Essence (Jing) pattern, and 7. Accumulation & Lodging of Intestinal Worms

pattern. One or more of these 7 will be present in a person who has iron

deficiency anemia.

 

What works for one of these TCM Roots may do nothing for another and may

make another worse. For example if the healer hasn't determined correctly

the TCM imbalance and gives the treatment for Spleen-Kidney Yang Deficiency

to someone who is suffering from Blood Deficiency with Fire and Dryness

pattern, the treatment for Yang Deficiency is going to make Blood Deficiency

AND Fire and Dryness worse. Much worse. TCM stresses identifying Roots and

treating those, not willy-nilly treating symptoms.

 

Either Kidney Yang Deficiency, or Kidney Yin Deficiency, or joint Yin and

Yang Deficiency will be found in people who have chronic aplastic anemia.

 

Some of the hematological disorders covered in this book are sickle cell

anemia, hemolytic anemia, Thalassemia, anemia due to renal failure,

megaloblastic anemia, polycythemia vera, leukopenia, the leukemias,

lymphomas, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, allergic purpura,

hemophilia, and purpura simplex. I was disappointed that the chapter on

mononucleosis (glandular fever) only covers acute mono and not chronic mono

though there are some mentions of recurring problems after acute mono if the

problem isn't successfully treated.

 

There also are some dietary recommendations in the book.

 

I wish Becker had included a section on the TCM definition of Blood (as

opposed to the Western definition of blood) and gone into TCM Blood

imbalances more. There are references throughout the book to some of them

under the TCM syndromes. (For example, Heat in the Blood crops up a lot.)

My personal opinion is that the book would be even stronger and even more of

a reference guide if he had. This book is a professional/ student level TCM

book written for people who already know the basics of TCM but lack a total

understanding of Western blood physiology and want to bridge the gap. But

this also is a book for Western physicians and other Western healthcare

professionals who want to learn more about TCM. It would be an even better

book with a section going into some detail on Blood and TCM Blood

imbalances.

 

Victoria

 

 

 

_______________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp