Traditional Chinese Medicine

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One important aspect of Chinese culture is Traditional Chinese Medicine, also known as TCM. Chinese medicine has been around for quite awhile, and is still around today. In the United States, we see it as acupuncture and massage. TCM is still widely popular in its home country where it is still practiced as it was a few centuries ago. Chinese medicine is evolving to our modern day times, but it is keeping close ties to its roots. Chinese medicine is also becoming more affluent in different parts of the globe. It is a major part of Chinese history and culture, and the people who participate in it do so with great respect. With Chinese medicine, there is great history, procedures, risks, and how it lives in the modern world.
Chinese medicine has been around for over 2,000 years and originated in Eastern Asia. At first it was very superstitious, since all original practitioners were Tribal shamans and holy men, who practiced the “Way of long Life”, this method evolved into what is used today. (Schoenbeck 2034). They used herbal concoctions, special diets, and martial arts to keep themselves and others in good health. The shamans shared their practices, and the type of medicine quickly spread all throughout China. The methods were soon adopted into everyday life of villagers and in the more populated, less rural areas. These practices were not only medicinal, but also were also used as ways to deal with religious and mythical means.The way the practices were very different and unconventional. The medical practices developed through observation, not by scientific measures (Williams 14). All their researching was by trial and error, not by experimentation. The practitioners went directly to the procedure, and did not test their hypothe...

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"Chinese Herbalism." Encyclopedia of Natural Healing. 2004. eLibrary.

Kupferschimidt, Kai. "Dangers of Chinese Medicine Brought to Light by DNA Studies."Science/AAAS. Science Magazine, 12 Apr. 2012.

Schoenbeck, Joan, and Teresa G. Odle. "Traditional Chinese Medicine." The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 2033-2038. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Williams, Tom. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine. Boston: Element Limited,
1996. Print.

"1973: Science for the People of China." World Book Science Year. 2009. eLibrary.

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