Zeng Shengen, Traditional Chinese Medicine Enthusiast
We strongly disagree with the recent series of actions accusing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Chinese herbal medicine. We have some questions and would like to publicly seek clarification from the various levels of medical and health authorities.
A person who claims to be a TCM practitioner came forward to confess that he had taken Longdan Xiegan Tang for half a year, which led to kidney failure and the need for dialysis to survive. The scene shown on TV was this TCM practitioner holding up a urinary catheter, claiming that he was indeed undergoing dialysis. Anyone with a bit of medical knowledge knows that dialysis involves inserting a needle into the blood vessels of the arm, drawing blood to the dialysis machine to filter out toxins, and then returning the blood to the body, rather than inserting a catheter into the urethra to wash the kidneys with water. Due to the frequent needle pricks during dialysis, the blood vessels in the arm swell and harden. Moreover, the complexion becomes dark, and the eye circles turn black like a panda's. This TCM practitioner did not exhibit these symptoms. Based on the scene of him showing the urinary catheter and his complexion, it can be concluded that this accusation is fabricated. The medical authorities actually believed this lie.
Secondly, as a TCM practitioner, one should be well-versed in how to use Chinese herbal medicine. The most standard method of prescribing in TCM is to first prescribe one dose, boil it, and have the patient take it while the doctor observes the patient's reaction to the medicine. Only after seeing the patient's pulse improve and breathing become regular does the doctor confirm that the prescription is correct. Then, the patient is instructed to take three to five doses consecutively, after which the prescription must be adjusted based on the patient's condition. There is absolutely no case of taking the same prescription for half a year. If such a case truly exists, it must be due to a quack doctor. This TCM practitioner's accusation completely violates the principles of TCM prescribing. It can be said that he is not qualified to be a competent TCM practitioner. If he really is a TCM practitioner and took Longdan Xiegan Tang for half a year, leading to kidney failure, then it is his own fault, not a problem with the medicine.
Health authorities announced that herbs such as Aristolochia, Caulis Akebiae, and Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae contain aristolochic acid, which is the main culprit causing kidney failure. They also cited a large amount of foreign data as evidence. Western countries are still at the stage of using single herbs. They often use raw Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae in large doses. We know that using 60 grams of raw Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae at once can immediately cause kidney failure, without waiting for half a year to accumulate the dose. When Taiwanese TCM practitioners use these herbs, they mostly use two qian (6.25 grams) or three qian (9.375 grams), which are relatively small doses. Moreover, they only use them two or three times before changing the prescription. When used correctly, there are no negative effects as with large doses.
Many Chinese herbs are toxic, such as Aconite, which is extremely hot and toxic. Any TCM practitioner knows that this herb is not used lightly unless absolutely necessary. Aconite is the top herb for reviving yang and rescuing from collapse. It is only used when a person is extremely weak, and once the symptoms improve slightly, it is immediately stopped and not used further. Toxic medicine, when used appropriately, can save lives. Non-toxic medicine, when used incorrectly, can also be fatal. For example, herbs like Ginseng and Ephedra, which are non-toxic, can still harm the body if used in large amounts or for a long time.
Moreover, TCM prescriptions have long evolved from single herbs to compound formulas. When using toxic herbs, they must first be processed using one of fourteen methods such as ginger, honey, wine, or vinegar to reduce their toxicity or change their medicinal properties. Even without processing, other herbs are added to the compound formula to neutralize the toxicity and achieve the overall therapeutic effect.
The health agency, using only foreign reference materials and the accusation of one patient, publicly ordered the ban on all traditional Chinese medicines containing aristolochic acid on the third day. The speed was so fast that it inevitably raised suspicions. This is in stark contrast to the incompetence and procrastination displayed by the health agency during the SARS epidemic. The desire of Western medicine to eliminate the issue of aristolochic acid has a long history. Why, at this moment, did they take immediate action based solely on the self-report of an absurd traditional Chinese medicine practitioner? It is clearly a well-planned move aimed at monopolizing medical resources. After SARS, the outpatient volume of major hospitals has declined, and income has decreased. Under the guidance of the modern hospital management policy of "using medicine to cure diseases" and "profit first," major hospitals do not allow a decline in performance. To boost performance, they have resorted to attacking traditional Chinese medicine. Since the Republic of China, Western medicine has always used every possible means to attack traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, to regain lost customers and increase income, someone has come up with this dirty old trick, and it's a fake one at that. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the excuse of aristolochic acid is to compete for internal medicine patients. The crackdown on chiropractic, aromatherapy, and massage is to compete for rehabilitation patients.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a history of over five thousand years and is a great treasure of human culture. The traditional TCM medication principle has always been "first acupuncture, second moxibustion, third herbal decoction." When the body feels unwell, the first step is to make some adjustments at the most sensitive acupoints with needles. If there is a deficiency in substance and energy, moxibustion with mugwort at the acupoints or affected areas can provide relief. If these methods are still insufficient to cope, and there are material changes in the internal organs, then medication is used to make adjustments.
TCM also says, "Medicinal supplements are not as good as dietary supplements, and dietary supplements are not as good as qi supplements." All medicines are toxic; if you can avoid taking them, do not take them. Qi supplementation refers to absorbing the energy and information of the sun and the universe, directly infusing them into the body. This is the safest approach. No matter how you supplement, what is more important is the human heart. A person's psychological state and whether their thoughts are bright and pure are the fundamental factors determining their health. Imagine a person who is always calculating, scheming, and unwilling to sacrifice and contribute—how can their heart (including the brain) be well? It would be strange if they did not get heart disease. Therefore, TCM has always taken "sound conduct in life" as the standard for medical practice, not only treating others but also self-cultivation. Thus, a good doctor is equivalent to a good prime minister; when they can treat people, they can govern the country.
Nowadays, it is not so. Opening hospitals is for making money. Medical treatment is only about making some observations and adjustments at the physical level; taking medicine is about adding something, and surgery is about subtracting something. The psychological and moral aspects of a person are completely ignored, even dismissed as superstition. For their own benefit and to make money, any unscrupulous means are employed. In this immoral situation, each of us is bound by modern medical methods. Medical records get thicker, and the body gets worse. If you are not careful, some organ might disappear, and you still have to thank the doctor for saving you. There is a book on the market titled "Doctor, Spare My Life," which harshly criticizes that surgeons in Taiwan today only know how to wield knives to kill, and internists only know how to poison to kill. It was written by Dr. Shih Yi-hsiung from the Department of Medical Technology at National Taiwan University. However, Heaven is fair in its rewards and punishments. The average lifespan of modern doctors is more than ten years shorter than that of the general population. According to statistics from the Medical Association of the Republic of China, the average lifespan of surgeons is 65 years, internists 60 years, and dentists 58 years. The average age of the national population is around 76 years. This is data from a few years ago. It is said that the recent data shows an even lower average age. On the other hand, good, cultivated TCM practitioners who live to ninety years old, still looking like sixty, are not uncommon. Thus, there is a paradox: how can a group of Western doctors, who are both physically and psychologically unhealthy, be responsible for safeguarding the health of the entire population? Yet, they go out of their way to criticize TCM, which can truly make themselves and others healthy. Previously, it was puzzling why Western doctors do not live long. Looking at current examples, it is clear that the short lifespan of Western doctors is justified—it is because they "do not cultivate virtue."
Recently, these actions to suppress TCM have exposed the failure of modern medical education, especially in the aspect of medical ethics education. At the same time, these actions also show a repeated severance from the inheritance of our nation's medical and cultural history. The final outcome will inevitably be turning the entire population into lab rats controlled by big pharmaceutical companies, with no hope of ever turning things around.