Some Fragmentary Reflections After Studying Western Medicine
In the past I studied Chinese medicine; now I am studying Western medicine. I have had two weeks of classes and have been in the laboratory once. The school's schedule is tight, so these two weeks have actually felt quite full. I like all the professional courses. Our first lab class was to observe and study the trunk bones of the human body (skull, thoracic, lumbar and cervical vertebrae, etc.); the specimens were real bones from body donor teachers. Before entering the lab I thought I might be a bit nervous, but once inside I found nobody felt nervous — probably because the preceding theoretical classes had already exposed us to a great deal of similar information in pictures.
Western and Chinese medicine differ greatly. This semester we mainly study basic anatomical knowledge, approaching human anatomy from two angles: macroscopic anatomy (human anatomy) and microscopic anatomy (histology and embryology). Western medicine studies the human body with enormous meticulousness; as science and technology continue to develop, anatomy has also made great strides. Today's anatomy has already incorporated many of the latest cutting-edge technologies, enabling a further molecular-biological understanding of the human body. This precision of Western medicine easily inspires confidence.
By comparison, although Chinese medicine has a long history, its theoretical structure contains too many ambiguous points; when things cannot be clearly explained, it resorts to some metaphysical concepts to account for their principles, and many of these explanations are wrong. Hence, under the competition of Western medicine, the discursive power of Chinese medicine is weakening. If Chinese medicine is to achieve greater development in the future, it must value theoretical innovation and create a theoretical system that better conforms to basic human cognitive abilities and scientific common sense.
But the above statement needs further explanation. As the Japanese Kampo physician Yumoto Kyushin said, the experiments that Chinese medicine has conducted on the human body over several thousand years cannot be so lightly dismissed. The reason Chinese medicine is still vibrant today is that its clinical efficacy is more convincing than its theory. For many diseases, Chinese medicine has outstanding efficacy. Yumoto Kyushin himself originally studied Western medicine; after his daughter died of typhoid, he switched to Chinese medicine and eventually became a great master of TCM. He had a deep understanding of the respective strengths and weaknesses of Chinese and Western medicine.
Yet the clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine is not so easily obtained; a great many TCM learners treat disease with low efficiency or even no effect. The great contemporary Chinese physician Shi Jinmo once worriedly wondered whether Chinese medicine would disappear within a hundred years. To make Chinese medicine adapt to the development of the new era, Mr. Shi, with far-sighted vision, conceived that Chinese medicine should combine with modern science and take the road of theoretical innovation. So he sent his favored disciple (also his son-in-law), Zhu Chenyu, and his daughter to Japan to study Western medicine for several years. After returning, Mr. Zhu's medical skill greatly improved; he later became director of the TCM department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and did a great deal of pioneering work in TCM teaching, research and clinical practice.
I am now walking the same road that Mr. Zhu Chenyu walked, only starting many years later. Mr. Zhu became a disciple of Shi Jinmo to study TCM right after high school; after completing his apprenticeship, at his twenties he went to Japan to study Western medicine. His student years were the best period of life, giving him a great age advantage. I have started a bit late, but I too want to strive a few more steps forward in this direction.
At present, when Western medicine holds absolute discursive power, Chinese medicine actually faces a crisis of survival. Humanity's demands on medicine are growing ever higher, and Western medicine is vigorously developing toward precision medicine. If Chinese medicine is to survive and develop in the new era, it must also have a consciousness of proactive innovation, seeking development within survival and seeking longer-term means of survival within development.
Chinese medicine has the potential to develop toward precision medicine. Professor Tu Youyou drew inspiration from records in ancient TCM texts and developed artemisinin, which has saved millions of lives. The Chinese medicine arsenic (arsenic trioxide) for treating leukemia was listed by the WHO as one of the standard regimens for leukemia. These are all precious treasures unearthed from the great treasury of Chinese medicine. But the value of Chinese medicine and pharmacology goes far beyond this: many empirical TCM formulas have excellent efficacy and relatively low harm, and all of this needs to be further researched and developed by us using new technologies.
Chinese medicine needs to incorporate many valuable elements of modern medicine into its own theoretical system. To accomplish such a goal, one must maintain lasting enthusiasm for both Chinese and Western medicine, hold no prejudice against either, and engage in continuous research. This research may take a very long time and require a large community working together. Born in this era, I am very willing to throw myself into this cause, researching on tirelessly. Finding joy that makes one forget worries and forget old age — this is the greatest reward in life.