A Brief on the History and Prospects of Chinese Medicine
Our ancient society reached an age of system-change, lively thought, and free speech — the Spring-Autumn and Warring States of many philosophers rising, a hundred schools contending — and an epochal medical work appeared: the Huangdi Neijing. Within its contents are fully shown the perseverance and high wisdom of our ancestors in their long struggle against disease. Through millennia of medical practice, observation of living and of bodily dissection, an immense store of experience was accumulated; under the advanced philosophical thought of the time, this experience was seriously summarized, organized, and studied; from it regular conclusions were drawn and lifted to the theoretical level. Hence were created yin-yang, five-phase, zàng-fu, jingluo, ying-wei, blood-qi, jing (essence), shen (spirit), jin-ye (fluids), jin (sinew), bone, skin, flesh, five sense-organs and nine orifices, the seven emotions, the six excesses, and the four qi five flavors, raising-lowering, floating-sinking, and ruler-minister-aide-courier of formula composition — building a fairly complete and systematic theoretical framework for TCM. This system is deeply rooted in the Chinese national mainstream culture and is an important part of the Chinese nation's fine traditional culture. It put forth the people-centered thought of "between Heaven and Earth, the human is the most precious"; uncovered the regular law of "the human responds with Heaven, Earth, sun, and moon"; the myriad things of the world "breathe into one another" (Zhuangzi) — maintaining mutual opposition, restraint, dependence, and promotion, composing the balance, coordination, unity, and harmony of human and nature, what Zhuangzi calls "Heaven and Earth are born with me; the ten thousand things are one with me." Human and natural environment are a unified whole; within the body, the five storehouses and six bowels are the center, with the heart as ruler; through the channels, ying-wei and blood-qi are conveyed to each part of the body, nourishing it and maintaining its normal function — so the body too is a unified whole.
The Suwen · Yinyang Yingxiang Da Lun says: "Yin-yang is the Way of Heaven and Earth, the warp of the ten thousand things, the parents of change-and-transformation, the root of birth-and-killing, the storehouse of the bright spirit." Yin-yang exists in all things — Heaven, Earth, and the ten thousand things all have the two opposing sides of yin-yang. Laozi, chapter 42: "The ten thousand things carry yin and embrace yang; the rushing qi makes harmony." Between yin and yang exists a chong-he (rushing-harmonious) qi; in harmony things are engendered, engendering without rest, promoting the ceaseless development and change of the objective world, so that Heaven and Earth and all things stay in the process of "shifting and not abiding."
TCM theory, built on great practical experience, has a firm experiential base, with a whole-view and change-view of the objective world — embodying the thought-feature of Eastern culture and defining the direction of TCM. It long held to medical practice under theoretical guidance, held theory's dependence on practice, held theory and practice in unity.
TCM's broad embrace of the ten thousand things of Heaven and Earth determines its openness: in medical culture, it can both send out and take in. Through several millennia of practice that secured the flourishing of the Chinese nation, it has unceasingly accumulated new experience, produced new theory, born new schools, and brought forth new medical canons — Shanghan Zabing Lun, Shennong Bencao Jing, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing, Zhouhou Beiji Fang, Mai Jing, Hua Shi Zhongzang Jing, Pao Zhi Lun, Liu Juanzi Guiyi Fang, Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun, Tongmeng Zhiguan, Xin Xiu Bencao, Beiji Qianjin Yaofang, Wai Tai Mi Yao, Wang Bing's Suwen annotation, Jingxiao Chanbao, Shiliao Bencao, Xin Bian Jingui Yuhan Yaolüe Fang, Liji Jing, Furen Daquan Liangfang, Xiaoer Yaozheng Zhijue, Yunqi Lun'ao, Xiyuan Lu, Lizheng Anmo Yaoshu, Shanghan Zongbing Lun, Ru Men Shi Qin, Pi Wei Lun, Suwen Xuanji Yuanbing Shi, Gezhi Yu Lun, Tangye Bencao, Shisi Jing Fahui, Lei Jing, Bencao Gangmu, Jiuhuang Bencao, Wenyi Lun, Kouchi Leiyao, Meichuang Milu, Diesun Miaofang, Mingyi Leian, Shenshi Yaohan, Shishen Shenshu, Yinduo Lüe, Shazhang Yuheng, Lixu Yuanjian, Jiyang Gangmu, Laolao Hengyan, Wenre Jingwei, Wenbing Tiaobian, Chonglou Yuyao, Chuanya Neibian, Biaoyou Fu, Yaoxing Fu, Yixue Sanzi Jing, and many more. Thus our medicine's content was enriched, became a great treasure-house, and was exported to Japan, Korea, Vietnam — serving the world's health. It also took in beneficial knowledge from other peoples' medical cultures to enrich and develop itself — e.g., the drugs suhe xiang, anxixiang, awei, Persian qingdai, ruxiang, moyao, qitou lüru, Japanese sulphur, Annan cinnamon, huhuanglian, hu tonglei, bichengqie, naqi, helileh, Persian zaojia, Indian dry-ginger, oriental ginseng, Western (American) ginseng, dragon-blood, zhihan, clove, pepper, sesame, walnut, Korean kelp, Korean ginseng, naosha, rongyan, caochi; formulas Qipo Tang, Qipo Wanbing Wan, Yaozi Yi Wu Wan, Aqiatuo Wan, Xiongnu Lusu Wan, Xizhou Xuming Tang, Western herbal-wine, Zhi Fa Cun's gu-poison formulas, the Japanese Three Treasury's wound-formula, Beisan Tang, and non-pharmacological Brahman massage; and ophthalmic theory; and medical canons — Hai Yao Bencao, Dong Yi Baojian, Ji Zhong Xin Bian, Hui Hui Yaofang, Qipo Yao Yong Fang, Qipo Sixty-Four Questions, Qipo Wu Zang Lun, Qipo Mai Jing, Brahman Yao Fang, Long Shu Pu-sa Yangxing Fang, Brahman Various Immortals' Yao Fang, Western-region Famous Physicians' Collected Essential Formulas, Hu Guo Fang, Long Shu Yan Lun, Long Shu Pu-sa Yao Fang, Za Bing Guang Yao, and many more — all entered the hall of TCM scholarship and merged with our medicine, becoming part of the great treasure-house. So TCM became fuller, the level of medical science rose higher; and it has long stood firm in the East.
Then came 1840: the Opium War; Western culture entered with the gunboats; China fell into half-colonial, half-feudal status; foreign missionaries brought Western medicine. Amid the wave of learn from the West, some TCM scholars strongly advocated TCM-Western junction-and-passage. But the philosophical foundations and theoretical systems of the two differing, the academic exclusion of each came out — so junction was made, but passage was not. The 1919 anti-imperialist anti-feudal May Fourth movement made positive gains; but lacking the method of analysis, formalism appeared — if good, all good; if bad, all bad. Under the slogan down with Confucian shop, fine national culture was swept into the historical dustbin along with feudal refuse. Then Hu Shi launched the so-called organize the national heritage movement. Under Western-culture-centrism, Hu Shi's intent in organizing the heritage — he himself stated: "I want to organize..."
(Source text appears to be truncated mid-sentence in the original on cuiyueli.com.)