冷板凳

There is nothing wrong at all; I refer to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a practice because TCM is not only a form of medicine but also a philosophy.

The theoretical foundation of TCM is Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, which summarize the movements and changes in the natural world and the human body.

TCM believes that humans are interconnected with and influenced by nature, and that one must adapt to the changes of nature to maintain physical and mental health.

Mysterious Origins#

It is said that the theoretical system of TCM was imparted to ancient Chinese people by aliens, because the observational methods and logical reasoning of TCM differ from other human cognitive approaches, and the effects of TCM treatments such as herbal medicine and acupuncture are miraculous, which humans could not create on their own.

Aliens may have shared the knowledge of TCM with some Chinese people to help humanity improve the quality of life or to conduct some kind of experiment.

The wonders of acupuncture are indescribable; who was the first to discover those mysterious acupuncture points in the human body?

Humans have two systems: one for the body and one for the soul. It is like the unique martial arts in wuxia novels, which are divided into techniques and internal skills.

TCM tends to promote healing of the body by stimulating the soul; we can see the miraculous aspects of acupuncture through a narrow lens.

Why can acupuncture achieve therapeutic effects by stimulating invisible acupuncture points with a single needle?

This is because acupuncture points are important components of the meridian system, closely linked to organs, qi and blood, nerves, and more.

When the body undergoes pathological changes, the meridian system responds accordingly, manifested as changes in the sensitivity, resistance, and temperature of acupuncture points.

By needling these changed points, responses in the nervous, vascular, and endocrine systems can be triggered, thereby regulating the body's physiological functions, eliminating pathological factors, and restoring health.

Five Elements Motorcycle#

We can compare a person to a motorcycle. When it has problems, Western medicine analyzes the entire structure of the motorcycle's parts, identifying which specific part is faulty, repairing it if possible, or replacing it if not.

How does TCM understand the problems of this motorcycle? It observes and analyzes, noticing the looseness of various parts and the subtle changes in the entire system.

This is akin to dividing the motorcycle into five major systems: power, electrical, cooling, support, and control, corresponding to TCM's metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Finding the part that caused this change and repairing it is all that is needed.

At first glance, there seems to be no difference between TCM and Western medicine in their treatment methods; both identify the faulty part and solve the problem.

But what if this motorcycle's issues are not due to a faulty part, but rather due to assembly problems at the factory, or if the entire bike is loosening and aging at an invisible speed? How should one judge then?

When it cannot be measured, Western medicine is at a loss; either you buy a new one. At this point, the capabilities of TCM become apparent, as it uses a series of observations and insights to detect that the motorcycle's seat may have shifted a few centimeters, the fuel line seems abnormal when burning gasoline, and one can tell just by smelling the exhaust.

It also observes that the slight bumps during the motorcycle's operation come from the deformation of the support system's frame.

In short, Western medicine is like Ant-Man, constantly delving deeper into cells and molecular structures; TCM is like Doctor Strange, continually expanding its vision to study the universe and energy fields.

The Dilemma of TCM#

The Sword Sect and the Qi Sect have each developed a complete system of theories, but the Qi Sect has gradually weakened because the core techniques supporting this system are disappearing.

The technique of pulse diagnosis requires high skill; doctors must have rich experience and keen touch to accurately discern changes in pulse characteristics such as floating, sinking, slow, rapid, slippery, and rough.

We often say that it is wrong to view TCM through the lens of Western medicine; conversely, is it correct to mass-produce TCM doctors using the training methods for Western doctors?

A master teaches an apprentice; after taking a pulse, the master tells the apprentice what condition the pulse indicates, and the apprentice can feel it on the spot. Through continuous insights from the master’s teachings, the apprentice's pulse diagnosis skills are honed.

Students in TCM colleges touch a human model, but what can they discern? Can they learn acupuncture by poking various experimental subjects like pigs, cats, dogs, and chickens?

Especially for acupuncture, which requires precise techniques and dexterous skills, it is impossible to learn through books or video tutorials.

Just like we cannot mass-produce Olympic champions even with the collective effort of the nation. Not to mention how difficult it is to find a few people who can play football among over a billion people.

Attempting to mass-produce TCM doctors through assembly line methods, and even developing advanced diagnostic techniques that combine TCM and Western medicine.

I first take your pulse, then you go for a blood test to see the results; I use a needle a couple of times, then apply electric therapy to reinforce it; I prescribe you two boxes of Western medicine and a couple of packets of Chinese medicine for better results. This is the so-called leading global integration of TCM and Western medicine.

Some say that for the same condition and the same prescription, previously it caused sweating; now it causes gastrointestinal discomfort and occasionally diarrhea. What is the reason?

Chinese medicine is an important treatment method in TCM, using various natural substances from plants, animals, and minerals, according to certain compatibility principles and preparation methods, to regulate the body's qi and blood and Yin-Yang, thus achieving the purpose of treating diseases and maintaining health.

What is the key point? "Natural." If you say that even baby formula can be toxic, how can you ensure the safety of those medicinal materials?

Among the more than 600 commonly used medicinal materials in TCM, over 400 rely solely on wild resources, while about 200 are artificially cultivated. However, about 50% of the demand still relies on wild resources. Currently, 168 medicinal plants have been listed as rare and endangered in China, and authentic wild medicinal materials are facing severe resource shortages and even depletion.

The scarcity of raw materials leads to rising prices of medicinal materials, and thus, driven by huge profits, toxic white atractylodes, toxic yuanhu, toxic Zhejiang fritillary... have emerged one after another; even ginger is grown in toxic water.

"Some fakes cost only 2 or 3 yuan per kilogram, but the profit return is over 10 times, even 100 times. The huge temptation of profit leads some criminals to take risks."

Since medicinal materials cannot guarantee being natural, then the so-called properties, flavors, and usage of drugs, as well as their interactions, are not just empty talk?

With good luck, you might get diarrhea; with bad luck, counterfeit and inferior medicinal materials may interact and produce mutated toxins, and even deities cannot save you!

We cannot turn back time to test whether the prescriptions passed down from our ancestors are effective, but given the current high prices and the uncertainty of the authenticity of the medicinal materials, would you dare to take them?

Today, TCM faces many dilemmas, such as shortages of medicinal materials and difficulties in inheritance, which are concerning. The deeper reason behind this is that we have overlooked the inherent uniqueness of TCM.

TCM is not equivalent to Western medicine; it is a discipline that combines medical skills and philosophical connotations. It emphasizes a holistic view and experiential accumulation, rather than relying solely on experiments and data.

If we simply use the Western medical training model to mass-produce TCM talents, it is likely to lead to more cases of "unethical medical practice and unrefined medical skills." This is contrary to the realm that TCM seeks to achieve.