Chinese medicine – one of Chinese culture’s great treasures
is also a part of world medicine.
Today human society is entering the 21st century.
While reviewing history and looking to the future,
let us work together for the further development of TCM.

 

Prof. She Jing

 

Review of TCM development in the 20th century
In the past century, remarkable achievements have been made in the field of TCM basic theory and clinical research, Chinese Materia Medica and ethnic medicine.

 

Research on TCM basic theories
Chinese scholars have systematically studied the basic theories, including theory of Yinyang, Five Elements, Zang-fu Organs, Qi-Blood, Meridians, diagnostic methods and treatment principles. And thanks to their achievements, TCM has gone through a further enrichment and development especially in the theory of Zang-fu organs, Syndrome differentiations and Meridian systems. Meanwhile benefitting from modern scientific technology, the communication between Chinese medicine and modern science is improving. Research on acupunctureanalgesia and acu-anesthesia remains at a top level in the world, not only stimulating the development of analgetic physiology, but also promoting a worldwide popularisation of acupuncture therapy as part of Chinese medicine. Under the guiding principle of tradition and progress, and relying on TCM experts and the public, the State Administration of TCM has been working hard on TCM academic criterion and technique standardisation. This has helped to create a modern management of Chinese medicine organisations and a better understanding between TCM and modern medicine.

 

TCM clinical research
Benefitting from an improved diagnostic technique and better therapeutic effects, TCM has shown its advantages in treating some common and frequently encountered diseases, including some complicated diseases. New treatment methods have been invented for treating vascular diseases, rheumatic and rheumatoid disorders, diabetes and its complications, senile diseases, tumors, traumas and some other acute conditions. There are more qualified TCM clinical personnel nowadays, who were trained via the higher education programmes offered by the state-run TCM universities and institutes and also via the personal tutorship of well-known experts.

 

Research on Chinese Materia Medica
General investigation into the natural resources of Chinese herbs has led to very important findings. Assortments of commonly-used Chinese medical substances were sorted out and subsequently their quality aspects were investigated. Research on replacement of animal products for medical use and new techniques in the cultivation of botanical medical substances were successes that not only guarantee the amount and quality of Chinese herbs for clinical use, but will also protect natural resources. And for the sliced Chinese herbal products, the processing technique has become more advanced and standardised, hence it will accelerate the manufacturing process. The successful development of new supplementary substances also plays an important role in the modernisation of the pharmaceutical industry, especially in relation to the herbal products. At the same time, techniques in developing new herbal medicines are improving continuously. So far, there are almost 1,000 new products that gained favourable economic results and at the same time proved beneficial for society.

 

Development of ethnic medicine
As part of traditional medicine, ethnic medicine has gone through a prosperous phase in the past decades.Many classical medical works have been selected and translated into modern languages. In treating some difficult diseases, ethnic medicine has shown its beneficial effects. Today there are more than ten different forms of processed ethnic medicines and 842 different kind of products.

 

Some thoughts on the prospects for TCM development in the 21st century
For the further development of TCM in the 21st century, we need to consider the following aspects:

1. TCM must develop without losing its unique features. This is our basic principle. Therefore we must respect TCM’s own laws whilst taking advantage of modern science and technology.
2. Since professional personnel - who are supposed to be creative, enterprise-minded, well-versed in theory and skilled in practice - are the key issue for TCM development in this new century, hence the training of such personnel is extremely important.
3. Further studies and research are needed in some important areas, i.e. the physiological and pathological foundations of TCM syndromes; the pharmaceutical and chemical mechanism of herbal formulas; the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion regulating function and what exactly acupuncture meridians mean.We hope that more achievements regarding the abovementioned subjects can be reached through the application of modern scientific techniques in order to make a new contribution to the life sciences.
4. For the prosperity of TCM we also need more international communication and co-operation.
5. The Chinese government has to establish certain policies to support the development of TCM, by creating more possibilities and favourable conditions for TCM. We believe that traditional medicine will go through a new phase of prosperity in the 21st century. Colleagues from all over the world, let us work together for the future of TCM and hence make a great contribution to the health of human beings