今日的西医医好人是科学，但医死人的科学比医好人的科学还更科学，中医就是不科学的科学，要如何中、西医一元化呢？
药物用得恰当，最毒的砒霜亦可以治病但大家为什么看不见八角莲是治什么病？其用药量是多少？该如何使用？应如何服食中药？其药理作用是如何？中医的医学理论，中药的炮制，疗效……中医是如何把病治好的？中医的一切……从国小到大学的书本上看不到，电视、报纸上看不到；只听到、看到报导中医、中药的非，而不见中医、中药的是，中医、中药的千是万是一切都被踏在脚底下，听我的就科学，不听我的就是不科学，对中医、中药的管理权却如七月半的饿鬼－抢着要，大众不了解中医、中药，要如何中、西医一元化呢？
中医、西医就像中餐、西餐都是在提供大众的口味与营养，中医不是西医，西医也不是中医，就像中餐不是西餐，西餐也不是中餐，中餐会比西餐不科学、不营养吗？中餐、西餐两种截然不同的科学，是否应桥归桥，路归路，中医的归中医，西医的归西医，各展所长呢？要如何中、西医一元化呢？请大家提供意见！
十四、中医治本、西医治标是否可行？
答：治一个病，可以使身体其它的疾病消失，身体完全恢复健康，是治病之本。
治一个病，而产生许多疾病x并发症、副作用，最后造成全身都是病，可以说是治标吗？
什么是治标、治本呢？
急则治其标，缓则治其本，标本互为因果，标可治，本亦可治。
素问移精变气论第十三篇，标本已得，邪气乃服，标本不得，亡神失国，标指医生的诊断与治疗，本指病机、病情、标本已得主要是药能对症，即正确诊断与治疗。
天元纪大论：指先病为本，后病为标，元气为本，三阴三阳为标等等，标本须先观念搞清。
汤液醪醴论：病为本，工为标，标本不得，邪气不服，即诊断错误，治疗无效，病无法使痊愈。
今日西医的治标，实际是蒙蔽病情、耽误病情，蒙蔽病患的心理与病情，而做慢性谋杀病患的医疗，怎能说是治标呢？为什么？
如酸痛，打一针不痛，吃一下药不痛，三年、五年还在痛，十年也还在痛，最后止痛药把心脏、肾脏都弄坏了，故止痛是治标？还是在蒙蔽病情呢？还是慢性谋杀病患呢？
止痛药使用还蒙蔽了医生的诊断，使病情没法做程序进展的治疗。若了解中医，从发病始，让病患忍受一段时间的疼痛，由专业知识诊断出疼痛的原因是风痛、湿痛、寒痛、热热炎痛，虚痛肾亏、败肾、气虚……瘀血痛、药物中毒痛……是什么痛？找出原因，用什么药即可使疼痛病痊愈，根本就不需要止痛今日之治标，不致使病患受止痛药之害，故应培养，训练具有专业知识的中医师，而不是中医治本，西医治标，因中医既能治本，更能治标也。
大众误解了标、本的意义，更歪曲了中西医学的标、本意义，徒受医学之害而仍津津乐道，中医治本、西医治标，是谁造成的呢？
十五、西医检查，中医治疗是否可行呢？
答：病情时时、天天、月月随时在变详见为什么会吃药头，反药尾篇，治病的医师，随时都要掌握病情的变化，才能把严重的病情稳定后，把病治疗痊愈。医师具专业知识，对病情的变化，必须随时有全盘了解病情的认识，才能对症下药，辨证论治，以求痊愈。
中医学辨证论治的证字－就是证明、证据，身体生理、心理产生不当的证状，即身体的生理运作发生了故障，医疗即在排除此生理故障，恢复正常生理、心理运作，则生病的证状即消失。
今日西医所推销出来的检查、检验，根本就不能做为健康恢复的依据，常有病患拿着一大堆检验院或许多教学医院的健检册子，要我们参考，笔者会说：那一家是对的，请你告诉我？检验若对，为什么一流的教学医院都治不好，若是不对，根据检验的治疗下去，不是完蛋了吗？
今日西医自己创造，推销出来的疾病如高血压、糖尿病Ｂ型肝炎、白血球。尿酸……ＡＩＤＳ……一大堆从数字上讨论的疾病，一个病人也治不好，为什么呢？因为西医自己也不懂－原因不明，自己不知道它是什么？为什么要按着牛头强喝水，由中医来治疗呢？详见文明病是如何产生篇自己会生孩子，就要自己会养，自己能说出它是什么？自己就要把它治好，自己不知道，也没办法解决的东西，推销给大众，却要中医来治疗，真是不要脸且无耻的科学！详见医生都在骗人－高血压、糖尿病Ｂ型肝炎、癌症篇常听到，我先去检查是什么病再给你治！西医检查，中医治疗。这几句话，完全是不懂医学的人在痴人说梦详见为什么会吃药头，反药尾篇，为什么不让中医说一些病名给西医治呢？
如酸痛，我们常听到说是：神经痛、长骨刺、尿酸……什么叫神经痛？什么叫长骨刺？什么叫尿酸呢？讲得出来表示自己知道，自己知道就把它治好！不会治就不要讲话！
中医学酸痛分为风痛、湿痛、寒痛、热痛西医称发炎、虚痛即肾亏、败肾、气虚、瘀血痛跌打伤瘀血、药物中毒痛酸痛的原因很多，当医生就要诊断，分辨出如何的痛为风痛？如何的痛为湿痛？如何的痛为寒痛分别了风痛用风药，湿痛用袪湿药、寒痛用散寒药风寒湿三气杂合而至为痹！热痛用消炎药虚痛用补药，瘀血用散瘀血药，中毒则解毒分清疼痛之寒热、虚实，则天下并没有不能治疗痊愈的疼痛之病，但今日开口就是尿酸、长骨刺、神经痛皆因检查，医生告诉他们的，为什么不由中医定一些中医自己都不懂，且没办法治的医学名辞，叫西医来治疗呢？如果大众了解疾病的变化，则今日的健康检查，完全是在检查病人的口袋，浪费我们的税金，利用仪器欺骗病患，借机敛财。详见健康检查篇医疗不是赚钱、发财的事业，但也不是使人倾家荡产、家破人亡的事业，健康检查的欺骗医学更不应发生在健康恢复的工作岗位上。
发财不是罪恶，西医检查只是在敛财、欺骗病患，要如何由中医来治疗西医的敛财、欺骗病患所创造出一个病人都治不好的疾病呢？请大众提供西医检查，中医治疗的科学依据来？
借机敛财的健康检查骗钱术，要到什么时候才能被揭穿科学骗术呢？
十六、中医为什么不设医院，让病患住院呢？
答：生病是每一个人、每一个家庭都会遇到的，生病在日常生活、饮食、环境中得到，在日常生活饮食、环境中就可以把疾病的问题解决，是以每一个人都应是医师，每一个家庭都是恢复健康的医院，根本就不需要仪器精密、设备齐全。
任何大病都是由小病治疗，处理不当变成如半身不遂、中风、瘫痪，若了解中医的医学，在家中就地照顾，就可以使半身不遂的病患痊愈，百分之九十以上的病患，送到医院，花了大笔的钞票，反而病情加重，没有得到医疗的效果，入医院好象只是为了面子，为了心愿，而不是为治病痊愈，受医学之害，却不自知！多少人为进医院而背了一身债，病又没治好，何必花这些冤枉钱呢？
进入医院一百人，有没有十人，廿人能获健康恢复呢？有几人能全身而退健康完全恢复呢？走着进去，抬着回家，能坐轮椅回家算很幸运了，百分之九十以上进医院都是病上加病，医院能提供你多少健康的恢复呢？或是制造了多少倾家荡产、家破人亡的社会问题呢？
大家可以看到破脑脑手术开心、剖腹：医院的各种景象与十八层地狱的阎罗殿有多大的差别呢？大众看到满医院都是救苦救难的白衣大夫？还是谋财害命的白无常呢？
救苦救难的白衣大夫无所不在，救命治病的方法、药物亦无所不在，治病不需要劳师动众，亦不妨碍日常的工作，花钱得不到医疗的效果，反受各种不同疾病的传染医院为众病汇集的场所，致病上加病的屡见不鲜，致命者更不计其数。
真正健康的恢复，都是在家中获得，而不假外求，事实上医院的设立，只是医疗从业人员想捞而设想出来的点子，且是掩饰其医疗黑手的一种手段－如加护病房－名副其实的黑店。
医院只是大众想要获得健康，对科学的迷信，对设备与仪器不辨是非，所产生对健康恢复的海市蜃楼。
所有从教学医院出来的病患及其家属可以回想一下，获得健康的多，还是受医疗伤害，甚至换来一身都是病的多呢？大众可以请盖洛普民意调查，统计看看。
中国医学为什么不设立医院，大家应该可以明白了罢，健康获得是不假外求的，只要你有一个正确的医学知识与观念，则任何一个人都是医师，任何一个家庭都是恢复健康的医院。
十七、西药是从中药提炼的，所以中、西医药是一样的对吗？
答：把有效的成份提炼出来，是一般人的想法？
若把我们吃的饭，将有用的营养提炼出来，我们就不必每天这么辛苦吃这么大碗的饭，吃这么多的菜，每天只是两粒丸子就可以了，制造此营养丸的人，必成世界首富。
但我们的身体却不允许这么做，为什么呢？身体任何器官皆有其作用，任何精密的仪器都没有我们身体的结构这么精密、完美，了解中医生理学，为什么吃饭的孩子就会长大呢？
米饭为五谷之一，五谷为脾之果，脾属土，土能生万物，故吃米饭就能供给全身的营养，米饭加盐可以补肾，加甜甘可以补脾，加酸可以补肝，加苦可以补心，加辛辣可以补肺，一味米饭，可以供给全身所需营养，并非米饭本身所能做到，而是因五味的调配，而科学可能将五味的调配问题解决吗？故不需要把饭的营养提炼出来。
中药是自然的药物，西药是化学合成的药物，就像米饭和粪便两种东西。
米饭是人的食物，粪便是植物的食物，人吃植物排粪便，植物吃肥料粪便，是一个循环，人不等于就是植物，植物不等于粪便，粪便不等于人，皆是天地自然之物，西药是中药提炼的，但西药绝不等于中药，其作用根本就不相同。
中医药的治疗在人体的相生克之五行运用，故治一个病，可以使身体的许多疾病消失，西医的药理治一个病，却创造了许多种副作用、并发症的产生，致最后全身都是病，西药绝不等于中药，其作用根本就不相同。
中药对人体的作用在扶正以袪邪，西药袪邪对人体造成遍体鳞伤，今日医疗药物对人体的伤害比疾病更严重，许多原因不明的疾病即因药物伤害所造成，许多人日夜承受医疗伤害的痛苦，但大家只听到医学的进步，药物的速效之报导，却看不到化学药物对人体伤害的报导，中、西医药怎么可能是一样的呢？就像中餐、西餐亦不可能是一样的，故中、西医不可能混为一谈的。
十八、中药是否会伤胃呢？
答：有胃病都要把胃病治好，怎么可以伤胃呢？治病绝对不可以让药物的副作用发生，更不可以发生病发症，治病绝对不可以治这伤那，治那伤这，吃中药就像吃饭可以把饥饿治好，还可以把体力恢复，不会因治病用药而令人好累、好疲倦、好想睡觉的伤害体力、元气。
用中药治病对身体不适或有毒的药物，都事先要经过适当的炮制，把药物的不良作用、毒性袪除，以达到治病的目的而不伤身体。
中医用药更注意用药的君臣佐使，治疗痊愈，且达到气血调和，增强身体抵抗疾病的目的。
正统中医治病，绝对不会有像西药的伤胃，更伤五脏六腑之无穷后患问题发生。
吃中药就像吃饭一样，吃饱了就不想再吃，治病亦是治好就不需再吃药，但许多人却以为中药没有副作用，而长期服用某种药物，造成五脏之不能平衡，如八宝粉为儿科要药，亦没有必要经常服用，故大众对中医药的认识，实应有进一步的教育之必要。
十九、吃素好？还是吃荤好呢？
答：牛是吃草的，牠不吃肉，吃草使牛的身体很强壮。
老虎是吃肉的，不吃草，肉食使老虎身体很强壮。
人是草蔬菜、水果也吃、肉也吃、杂食性也。有的人喜欢吃肉，有的人喜欢吃草蔬菜、水果，因身体体质不同，所须营养亦各不相同也。
是吃素好呢？吃荤好呢？各取所需，只要吃得健康就好，不管老人、小孩都不禁忌吃荤、吃素，老人不用害怕胆固醇、血脂肪、小孩不必忌讳不吃肉，天地万物，以自然为最也，健康亦是最自然之事也。
病从口入，吃到对身体感觉不适，如口苦、口干、或胃不舒服……对身体有不良的作用，身体会自然的产生反应，并不是吃素好，吃荤好、只要不对身体产生不适的病就好。
二十、肉类会造成心脏、血管的病变，老年人少吃肉，多吃蔬菜对吗？
答：今日医学向大众报导，肉类的胆固醇等会造成心脏、血管的病变，事实根本不是肉类本身造成的，而是烹调肉类的方法与调味料的问题，引起病变。
肉类用烤、用炸则肉的性味变燥，此燥的食物造成心脏、血管实际是五脏六腑皆受影响的病变，老年人气血衰弱，辛辣性燥的食物皆引起口干舌燥、引起头晕、身体不适、问题并不在肉类的胆固醇，更不是肉类不能吃，而是烹调的方法与作料所致。
如肉类用蒸、用煮则其性味不燥、不火，对心脏、血管，对身体根本没有伤害。是以老年人根本不必避讳吃肉，但今日许多老年人因媒体报导的误解，而不敢吃肉，实在是错得离谱的医学，害得多少老人望肉兴叹！
[Background Information]
Book Title: Key to Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhongyi Zhi Yao)
Chapter: Main Text (34/42)
Category: Medical Discourse
[Original Text Processing]
Modern Western medicine cures people through science, yet the "science" that kills patients is considered even more "scientific," while Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is viewed as an "unscientific science." How can we achieve the integration (monism) of TCM and Western medicine?
In contemporary times, when Western medicine successfully treats patients, it is regarded as scientific. However, the "science" that leads to patient deaths is paradoxically considered even more "scientific," whereas TCM is dismissed as an "unscientific science." How, then, can we achieve the integration (monism) of TCM and Western medicine?
If drugs are used appropriately, even the most toxic arsenic can treat diseases. But why do people not see what diseases Akebiae Caulis (Bajiaolian, *Aristolochia fangchi*) treats? What is its dosage? How should it be used? How should TCM decoctions be taken? What are their pharmacological effects? TCM medical theories, the processing of TCM herbs, efficacy... How does TCM cure diseases? Everything about TCM... cannot be found in textbooks from elementary school to university, nor on television or newspapers; one only hears and sees reports criticizing TCM and TCM herbs, never seeing their merits. The myriad virtues of TCM and TCM herbs are trampled underfoot. Listening to me makes one scientific; not listening makes one unscientific. Yet, regarding the management rights of TCM and TCM herbs, everyone fights for them like hungry ghosts on the Ghost Festival (July 15th). Since the public does not understand TCM and TCM herbs, how can they achieve the integration of TCM and Western medicine?
If drugs are used correctly, even highly toxic substances like realgar (*Shuanghuang*, often associated with arsenic compounds in historical contexts, though strictly Realgar is As4S4, here referring to toxic minerals/herbs generally treated with caution) can be used therapeutically. However, why is it that the general public is unaware of the indications for *Akebiae Caulis* (Bajiaolian)? What is its dosage? How should it be administered? How should TCM decoctions be consumed? What are their pharmacological mechanisms? TCM medical theories, the processing techniques of TCM herbs, and their clinical efficacy... How exactly does TCM cure diseases? All aspects of TCM... are absent from textbooks ranging from primary school to university, and are invisible on television and in newspapers. People only hear and see criticisms of TCM and TCM herbs, never witnessing their validity. The countless merits of TCM and TCM herbs are trampled upon. It seems that agreeing with the speaker implies being scientific, while disagreeing implies being unscientific. Nevertheless, authorities clamor for control over TCM and TCM herbs like hungry ghosts during the Hungry Ghost Festival. Given that the public lacks understanding of TCM and TCM herbs, how can the integration of TCM and Western medicine be realized?
TCM and Western medicine are like Chinese and Western cuisine, both serving the public's taste and nutritional needs. TCM is not Western medicine, nor is Western medicine TCM, just as Chinese cuisine is not Western cuisine, nor is Western cuisine Chinese cuisine. Is Chinese cuisine less scientific or nutritious than Western cuisine? Should these two distinct culinary sciences follow the principle of "bridges belong to bridges, roads belong to roads"—meaning TCM remains TCM, and Western medicine remains Western medicine—each showcasing its strengths? How can we achieve the integration of TCM and Western medicine? Please provide your opinions!
TCM and Western medicine are akin to Chinese and Western cuisines, both catering to the public's dietary preferences and nutritional requirements. TCM is distinct from Western medicine, just as Chinese cuisine differs from Western cuisine. Is Chinese cuisine inherently less scientific or nutritious than Western cuisine? Should these two fundamentally different approaches adhere to the principle of "separate paths" (bridge to bridge, road to road)—whereby TCM follows TCM principles and Western medicine follows Western principles—allowing each to leverage its respective strengths? How can the integration of TCM and Western medicine be achieved? We invite your opinions.
XIV. Is it feasible that TCM treats the root cause (Ben) while Western medicine treats the symptoms (Biao)?
Answer: Treating one disease such that other diseases in the body disappear, and the body fully recovers health, constitutes treating the root cause (Ben).
Answer: Treating a single disease in a manner that causes other diseases within the body to vanish, resulting in the complete restoration of health, represents treating the Root (Ben).
Treating one disease but producing many other diseases (complications, side effects), ultimately causing the whole body to become ill, can this be called treating the symptoms (Biao)?
Conversely, treating one disease while generating numerous other ailments (such as complications and side effects), eventually leading to systemic illness, can this truly be described as treating the Symptoms (Biao)?
What are treating the symptoms (Biao) and treating the root cause (Ben)?
What constitute treating the Symptoms (Biao) and treating the Root (Ben)?
In acute cases, treat the symptoms (Biao); in chronic or stable cases, treat the root cause (Ben). Biao and Ben are causally interrelated; both the symptoms and the root cause can be treated.
In acute conditions, address the Symptoms (Biao) first; in non-acute conditions, address the Root (Ben). The Symptoms and Root are mutually causal; both the manifestation and the underlying cause are amenable to treatment.
The *Suwen: Chapter 13 - Yijing Bianqi Lun* states: "When Biao and Ben are grasped, the pathogenic factor submits; when Biao and Ben are not grasped, spirit is lost and the nation falls." Here, "Biao" refers to the physician's diagnosis and treatment, while "Ben" refers to the pathogenesis and condition. "Grasping Biao and Ben" primarily means that the medication matches the syndrome, i.e., correct diagnosis and treatment.
The *Suwen: Chapter on Tianyuanji Dalun* states: The initial disease is the Ben (Root), and subsequent diseases are the Biao (Symptoms); Yuan Qi (Primal Qi) is the Ben, and the Three Yin and Three Yang meridians are the Biao, etc. One must first clarify these concepts.
According to the *Suwen: Treatise on Tang Ye Lao Li*: "The disease is the Ben, the practitioner is the Biao. If Ben and Biao do not correspond, the pathogenic factor will not submit." This implies diagnostic error and ineffective treatment, rendering the disease incurable.
As stated in the *Suwen: Treatise on Decoctions and Fermented Liquids*: "The patient and disease constitute the Ben, while the physician and treatment constitute the Biao. If Ben and Biao are incongruent, the pathogenic factors cannot be subdued." This signifies diagnostic errors and ineffective therapy, preventing recovery.
Today's Western medicine's "treating the symptoms" actually conceals the condition, delays treatment, obscures the patient's psychological state and physical condition, constituting a form of chronic murder of patients. How can this be called "treating the symptoms"? Why?
Contemporary Western medicine's approach labeled as "treating the symptoms" often merely masks the clinical presentation, delays appropriate intervention, and obscures both the physiological pathology and the patient's psychological state, effectively acting as a form of chronic harm to the patient. How can such practices be legitimately termed "treating the symptoms"? Why?
For example, with soreness and pain, an injection stops the pain temporarily, taking medicine stops it temporarily, but after three, five, or ten years, the pain persists. Eventually, analgesics damage the heart and kidneys. Thus, is pain relief treating the symptoms? Or is it concealing the condition? Or is it chronic murder of the patient?
Consider soreness and pain. An injection may provide temporary relief, and oral medication may offer short-term alleviation. However, if the pain persists for three, five, or even ten years, prolonged use of analgesics may ultimately damage vital organs such as the heart and kidneys. Therefore, is analgesia truly "treating the symptoms"? Or is it masking the underlying pathology? Or does it constitute chronic harm to the patient?
The use of analgesics also obscures the physician's diagnosis, preventing progressive treatment of the condition. If one understands TCM, from the onset of the disease, allowing the patient to endure pain for a period allows professionals to diagnose the cause of the pain as Wind-pain, Dampness-pain, Cold-pain, Heat-inflammation-pain, Deficiency-pain (Kidney deficiency, Kidney failure, Qi deficiency), Blood Stasis-pain, or Drug toxicity-pain. Identifying the specific type of pain and finding the cause allows for targeted herbal prescription to cure the pain completely, eliminating the need for modern symptomatic pain relief that harms patients. Therefore, we should cultivate and train TCM practitioners with professional knowledge, rather than adhering to the notion that "TCM treats the root, Western medicine treats the symptoms," because TCM can treat both the root and the symptoms.
Furthermore, the reliance on analgesics interferes with accurate diagnosis, hindering systematic therapeutic progression. In contrast, TCM philosophy allows for the observation of pain patterns from the onset. By analyzing the nature of the pain—whether it stems from Wind, Dampness, Cold, Heat, Deficiency (such as Kidney Essence depletion or Qi deficiency), Blood Stasis, or Toxicity—a TCM practitioner can identify the etiology and prescribe specific herbs to resolve the pain entirely. This approach avoids the iatrogenic harm associated with long-term analgesic use. Consequently, the focus should be on training competent TCM practitioners who possess the expertise to manage both root causes and manifestations, challenging the simplistic dichotomy that "TCM treats the root while Western medicine treats the symptoms," since TCM is capable of addressing both.
The public misunderstands the meaning of Biao and Ben, further distorting their significance in both TCM and Western medicine. People suffer from medical harm yet remain complacent. Who created the notion that "TCM treats the root, Western medicine treats the symptoms"?
The public has misunderstood the definitions of "Biao" (Symptom/Surface) and "Ben" (Root/Etiology), further distorting their conceptual application in both TCM and Western medicine. Despite suffering adverse outcomes from medical interventions, society remains uncritical. Who propagated the stereotype that "TCM treats the root cause while Western medicine treats the symptoms"?
XV. Is it feasible to use Western medicine for examination and TCM for treatment?
Answer: The condition changes at all times, every day, and every month (see "Why Take Medicine at the Beginning but Not at the End"). Physicians treating diseases must constantly monitor changes in the condition to stabilize severe cases and achieve a cure. Physicians possess professional knowledge and must have a comprehensive understanding of condition changes at all times to prescribe appropriate medicines and conduct Syndrome Differentiation (Bian Zheng Lun Zhi) to seek recovery.
Answer: Clinical conditions are dynamic, changing continuously by the hour, day, and month (refer to the section "Why Take Medicine at the Start but Abandon it Later"). Physicians responsible for treatment must continuously monitor fluctuations in the patient's status to stabilize critical conditions and facilitate recovery. Possessing professional expertise, physicians must maintain a holistic awareness of pathological changes at all times to prescribe targeted therapies and engage in Syndrome Differentiation (Bian Zheng Lun Zhi) to achieve healing.
The character "Zheng" (Syndrome/Pattern) in TCM's Syndrome Differentiation (Bian Zheng Lun Zhi) means proof or evidence. When the body exhibits abnormal physiological or psychological signs, it indicates a malfunction in physiological operations. Medical treatment aims to eliminate this physiological malfunction, restoring normal physiological and psychological operations, thereby causing the sickly signs to disappear.
The term "Zheng" (Syndrome/Pattern) in TCM's practice of Syndrome Differentiation (Bian Zheng Lun Zhi) denotes evidence or proof. The emergence of abnormal physiological or psychological symptoms indicates a disruption in normal bodily functions. The objective of medical intervention is to rectify this physiological dysfunction, thereby restoring homeostasis in both physiological and psychological processes, which leads to the resolution of pathological signs.
Today's Western medicine-promoted examinations and tests cannot serve as a basis for health recovery. Often, patients bring stacks of test results from various laboratories or teaching hospitals for our reference. I would ask: Which hospital's result is correct? Please tell me. If the tests are correct, why can't top-tier teaching hospitals cure the disease? If they are incorrect, proceeding with treatment based on faulty tests would be disastrous.
Currently, Western medicine-promoted diagnostic tests and examinations do not constitute a valid foundation for restoring health. Patients frequently present extensive records from various commercial labs or major academic medical centers for consultation. One might inquire: Which institution's findings are accurate? If the diagnostic data were reliable, why would premier teaching hospitals fail to effect a cure? Conversely, if the data are erroneous, basing therapeutic decisions upon them would inevitably lead to detrimental outcomes.
Today, Western medicine has created and promoted diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, Hepatitis B, leukocyte abnormalities, uric acid levels... AIDS... and a host of other conditions defined merely by numerical values, yet it fails to cure even a single patient. Why? Because Western medicine itself does not truly understand them—the etiology is unknown, and its nature is unclear. Why force compliance and turn to TCM for treatment? (See "How Civilizational Diseases Arise"). If you create a problem, you must solve it yourself. If you can define it, you must cure it. Promoting unsolved, inexplicable problems to the public and demanding TCM to treat them is shameless and unscientific! (See "Doctors Are Deceiving You - Hypertension, Diabetes, Hepatitis B, Cancer"). It is common to hear: "I'll go get checked to see what disease I have, then you treat me!" "Western examination, TCM treatment." These statements are nothing but the ramblings of those ignorant of medicine (See "Why Take Medicine at the Start but Abandon it Later"). Why not allow TCM to diagnose certain conditions for Western medicine to treat?
Western medicine has coined and marketed numerous conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, Hepatitis B, hematological abnormalities, hyperuricemia, and AIDS, among others, often relying solely on quantitative metrics. Yet, these paradigms often fail to yield cures. Why? Because the underlying etiologies remain elusive to Western medicine itself. Why impose rigid diagnostic categories and subsequently seek TCM solutions? (Refer to "The Genesis of Lifestyle Diseases"). If a system identifies a problem, it should possess the capacity to resolve it. Exporting unresolved, undefined pathologies to the public and expecting TCM to provide remedies is scientifically irresponsible. (Refer to "Medical Deception: Hypertension, Diabetes, Hepatitis B, Cancer"). The phrase "Get a Western medical check-up first, then receive TCM treatment" reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of medical epistemology (Refer to "Why Take Medicine at the Start but Abandon it Later"). Why not reverse the roles and allow TCM diagnoses to guide Western therapeutic interventions?
For example, regarding soreness and pain, we often hear terms like: nerve pain, bone spurs, uric acid... What is nerve pain? What are bone spurs? What is uric acid? Being able to explain it means you know it; if you know it, you should be able to cure it! If you cannot treat it, do not speak!
Regarding soreness and pain, common Western diagnostic labels include "neuralgia," "osteophytes" (bone spurs), and "hyperuricemia." What precisely constitutes neuralgia? What are osteophytes? What is hyperuricemia? Merely naming a condition does not equate to understanding its essence or possessing the curative capability. If one claims knowledge, one must demonstrate the ability to heal. Without therapeutic competence, silence is preferable.
TCM categorizes soreness and pain into Wind-pain, Dampness-pain, Cold-pain, Heat-pain. Western medicine calls it inflammation. Deficiency-pain includes Kidney deficiency, Kidney failure, Qi deficiency. Blood stasis-pain includes traumatic blood stasis and drug toxicity pain. There are many causes of soreness and pain. A physician must diagnose and distinguish: How is Wind-pain identified? How is Dampness-pain identified? How is Cold-pain identified? For Wind-pain, use Wind-dispelling herbs; for Dampness-pain, use Dampness-resolving herbs; for Cold-pain, use Cold-scattering herbs. The combination of Wind, Cold, and Dampness constitutes Bi-syndrome (Arthralgia)! For Heat-pain, use anti-inflammatory herbs; for Deficiency-pain, use tonifying herbs; for Blood stasis, use blood-invigorating herbs; for toxicity, use detoxifying herbs. By distinguishing the Cold/Heat and Deficiency/Excess nature of the pain, there is no pain disease in the world that cannot be cured. But today, people immediately cite uric acid, bone spurs, and nerve pain, all due to examinations and doctor's reports. Why not have TCM define some medical terms that even TCM practitioners do not understand and cannot treat, and ask Western medicine to treat them? If the public understood the changes in disease, they would realize that today's health checks are merely checking the patient's wallet, wasting tax money, using instruments to deceive patients, and making a profit opportunistically. (See Health Check-up Section). Medical care is not a business for making money, nor is it a business that drives people to bankruptcy and family destruction. The deceptive medicine of health checks should not occur in the workplace of health recovery.
TCM classifies pain syndromes into Wind-pain, Dampness-pain, Cold-pain, and Heat-pain. Western medicine often attributes such symptoms to "inflammation." Deficiency-type pain encompasses Kidney Essence depletion, renal insufficiency, and Qi deficiency. Blood stasis pain arises from trauma or toxicity. Pain etiology is multifactorial. A competent physician must differentiate the specific nature of the pain: identifying Wind-pain requires Wind-expelling agents; Dampness-pain requires Dampness-draining agents; Cold-pain requires Cold-warming agents. The aggregation of Wind, Cold, and Dampness defines Bi-Syndrome (Obstruction Syndrome). Heat-pain requires clearing heat; Deficiency-pain requires tonification; Blood stasis requires invigorating blood circulation; toxicity requires detoxification. By accurately distinguishing the Cold/Heat and Deficiency/Excess characteristics of pain, virtually all pain conditions are treatable. However, modern discourse fixates on biomarkers like uric acid or structural findings like osteophytes, driven by instrumental diagnostics. Why not allow TCM to propose diagnostic frameworks for conditions that Western medicine struggles to treat, and vice versa? If the public comprehended the dynamic nature of disease, they would recognize that routine health screenings often serve financial interests rather than health outcomes, exploiting technological complexity to generate revenue. (Refer to the section on Health Screenings). Healthcare should not be a profit-driven enterprise, nor should it lead to financial ruin. The deceptive practices associated with commercialized health screenings are antithetical to the true goal of health restoration.
Making money is not a sin, but Western examinations are merely for making money and deceiving patients. How can TCM treat diseases created by Western medicine's money-making and deceiving practices, which cannot cure even one patient? Please provide the scientific basis for "Western examination, TCM treatment"!
Profit generation itself is not inherently unethical, yet Western diagnostic protocols are often criticized for prioritizing revenue over patient welfare. How can TCM effectively address pathologies generated by a system focused on commodification and diagnostic inflation, which frequently fails to deliver cures? We request the scientific justification for the paradigm of "Western diagnostic testing followed by TCM treatment."
When will the deceptive money-making scheme of health checks be exposed as a scientific fraud?
When will the deceptive financial schemes embedded in commercial health screenings be exposed as pseudoscientific fraud?
XVI. Why doesn't TCM establish hospitals for patients to stay in?
Answer: Illness is encountered by everyone and every family. Illness is acquired in daily life, diet, and environment, and the problem of illness can be solved in daily life, diet, and environment. Therefore, everyone should be a physician, and every family is a hospital for recovering health. There is absolutely no need for precise instruments and complete equipment.
Answer: Illness is a universal experience for every individual and household. Pathologies often arise from daily lifestyle, dietary habits, and environmental exposures. Consequently, these issues can often be resolved through adjustments in daily living, diet, and environment. Thus, every individual should act as their own healer, and every household should function as a center for health restoration. Such an approach does not necessitate sophisticated instrumentation or extensive medical infrastructure.
Any major disease develops from minor illnesses. If mishandled, it can lead to hemiplegia, stroke, or paralysis. If one understands TCM medicine, caring for the patient at home can enable the recovery of hemiplegic patients. However, over ninety percent of patients sent to hospitals spend large sums of money, yet their condition worsens, achieving no medical effect. Entering a hospital seems to be for face value or wish fulfillment, rather than for curing the disease. Suffering from medical harm without realizing it! Many people go into debt to enter hospitals, yet their illness remains untreated. Why spend this wasted money?
Major pathologies often evolve from minor disturbances. Improper management can lead to severe sequelae such as hemiplegia, stroke, or paralysis. With adequate knowledge of TCM, home-based care can facilitate recovery even in severe cases like hemiplegia. Conversely, over ninety percent of patients hospitalized incur significant financial burdens while experiencing deteriorated health outcomes, failing to achieve therapeutic goals. Hospitalization often appears motivated by social prestige or familial obligation rather than genuine curative intent. Individuals suffer iatrogenic harm unaware of the risks. Many accumulate substantial debt seeking hospital care, only to find their conditions unresolved. Why incur such unnecessary expenses?
Out of every hundred people entering a hospital, do ten or twenty recover their health? How many leave completely healthy? Walking in and being carried out, or returning in a wheelchair is considered lucky. Over ninety percent of hospitalizations result in additional illnesses. How much health recovery can a hospital provide you? Or how many social problems of bankruptcy and family destruction does it create?
Of every hundred individuals admitted, how many—ten or twenty—actually achieve full health restoration? How many discharge in optimal health? It is considered fortunate if one can return home ambulatory or via wheelchair. Statistics suggest that over ninety percent of hospital admissions result in nosocomial infections or comorbidities ("illness upon illness"). What tangible health benefits does the hospital model provide? Alternatively, how much socioeconomic distress, including bankruptcy and family disintegration, does it generate?
Everyone can see the scenes of craniotomies, cesarean sections, and various hospital sights. How big is the difference between this and the Yama Hall of the Eighteen Layers of Hell? Does the public see white-clad doctors saving lives everywhere, or white impermanence demons (death spirits) plotting to kill for money?
One can observe the realities of surgical procedures, intensive care, and hospital environments. How does this compare to the traditional depiction of hell? Does the public perceive healthcare workers as benevolent saviors, or as agents of financial exploitation?
White-clad doctors who save lives are everywhere. Methods and drugs for saving lives and treating diseases are also everywhere. Treating diseases does not require mobilizing massive resources, nor does it interfere with daily work. Spending money does not yield medical effects; instead, one may contract various infectious diseases. Hospitals are places where multiple diseases converge. Adding illness to illness is common; fatal cases are countless.
Healers and therapeutic resources are ubiquitous. Effective treatment does not require institutional bloat or disruption of daily life. Financial expenditure in hospitals often fails to yield therapeutic benefits and may expose patients to cross-infections. Hospitals serve as reservoirs for multidrug-resistant organisms and nosocomial pathogens. Complications arising from hospitalization are frequent, and mortality rates associated with hospital-acquired conditions are significant.
True health recovery is obtained at home, not sought externally. In fact, the establishment of hospitals is merely an idea conceived by medical practitioners to make money, and it is a means to cover up their black hands in medicine—such as Intensive Care Units (ICU)—which are literally black shops.
Genuine health restoration is best achieved within the domestic sphere, independent of external institutional dependency. The hospital system, arguably, originated as a mechanism for medical professionals to generate revenue, serving as a facade for opaque medical practices. Facilities such as Intensive Care Units (ICUs) exemplify this critique, functioning as high-cost centers with questionable value propositions.
Hospitals are just mirages of health recovery produced by the public's desire for health, superstition in science, and inability to distinguish right from wrong regarding equipment and instruments.
Hospitals represent an illusion of health recovery, fueled by public reliance on technology and a misplaced faith in scientific instrumentation, often lacking critical discernment regarding their actual efficacy.
All patients and their families coming out of teaching hospitals can recall: did they gain health, or did they suffer medical harm, or even end up with more diseases? The public can ask Gallup polls to count and see.
Patients and families discharged from academic medical centers are encouraged to reflect: Did they attain improved health, or did they suffer iatrogenic injury, or develop new pathologies? Public opinion surveys could quantify these outcomes.
Everyone should understand why Chinese medicine does not establish hospitals. Health acquisition does not require external seeking. As long as you have correct medical knowledge and concepts, anyone can be a physician, and any family can be a hospital for recovering health.
It should now be evident why TCM traditionally eschews the hospital model. Health is an internal state cultivated through correct knowledge and lifestyle, not an external commodity procured through institutionalization. With proper understanding, every individual becomes a healer, and every home becomes a sanctuary for health restoration.
XVII. Western medicine is extracted from Chinese medicine, so are TCM and Western medicine the same? Correct?
Answer: Extracting effective components is the idea of ordinary people?
Answer: The notion that isolating active ingredients simplifies therapy reflects a common misconception.
If we extract the useful nutrition from the rice we eat, we wouldn't have to work so hard eating such large bowls of rice and so many vegetables every day; just two pills a day would suffice. The person who manufactures this nutritional pill would surely become the world's richest person.
If one could isolate the essential nutrients from staple foods like rice, the burden of consuming large quantities of food daily would be eliminated, replaced by minimal supplementation. The inventor of such a nutrient-dense pill would undoubtedly amass immense wealth.
But our bodies do not allow this. Why? Every organ in the body has its function. No precision instrument is as precise and perfect as the structure of our body. Understanding TCM physiology, why do children who eat rice grow up?
However, the human body does not function in such a simplified manner. Why? Each organ possesses complex, integrated functions. No artificial instrument replicates the sophistication and perfection of human physiology. Understanding TCM physiology reveals why a child nourished by rice grows naturally.
Rice is one of the five grains. The five grains are the fruit of the Spleen. The Spleen belongs to Earth. Earth generates all things. Therefore, eating rice can supply nutrition to the whole body. Rice plus salt can tonify the Kidney; adding sweetness can tonify the Spleen; adding sourness can tonify the Liver; adding bitterness can tonify the Heart; adding pungency/spiciness can tonify the Lung. A single ingredient, rice, can supply the nutrition needed by the whole body. This is not something rice itself can do alone, but due to the调配 (adjustment/matching) of the Five Flavors. Can science solve the problem of adjusting the Five Flavors? Therefore, there is no need to extract the nutrition from rice.
Rice, as a component of the Five Grains, supports the Spleen (Earth element), which is central to digestion and the generation of Qi and Blood. Earth gives rise to all things. Thus, rice provides comprehensive nourishment. Furthermore, the flavor profile of rice interacts with added seasonings to target specific organs: salt (Salty) enters the Kidney; sweet flavors tonify the Spleen; sour flavors astringe and enter the Liver; bitter flavors clear heat and enter the Heart; pungent flavors disperse and enter the Lung. The holistic nutritional benefit of rice arises not from the grain in isolation, but from the synergistic interaction of the Five Flavors. Can modern science replicate this complex harmonization? Therefore, extracting isolated nutrients from rice is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive.
Chinese medicine is natural medicine, Western medicine is chemically synthesized medicine, just like rice and feces are two different things.
TCM utilizes natural botanical and mineral agents, whereas Western medicine relies on chemically synthesized compounds. This distinction is analogous to the difference between rice and feces.
Rice is human food, feces is plant food. Humans eat plants and excrete feces; plants eat fertilizer/feces. It is a cycle. Humans are not equal to plants, plants are not equal to feces, feces are not equal to humans. They are all things of heaven and earth nature. Western medicine is extracted from Chinese medicine, but Western medicine is absolutely not equal to Chinese medicine. Their effects are completely different.
Rice sustains humans; feces serves as fertilizer for plants. Humans consume plants and produce waste; plants utilize waste as nutrients. This forms a natural cycle. Humans are distinct from plants; plants are distinct from waste; waste is distinct from humans. All are products of nature. Although Western pharmaceuticals may originate from compounds found in TCM herbs, Western medicine is not equivalent to TCM. Their mechanisms and effects are fundamentally different.
TCM treatment applies the mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements in the human body. Therefore, treating one disease can cause many other diseases in the body to disappear. Western pharmacology, treating one disease, creates many side effects and complications, ultimately causing the whole body to be diseased. Western medicine is absolutely not equal to Chinese medicine. Their effects are completely different.
TCM therapy operates on the principle of balancing the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and their interactions (generation and restriction). Consequently, addressing the root imbalance can resolve multiple concurrent pathologies. In contrast, Western pharmacological interventions targeting a single pathology often induce side effects and complications, potentially exacerbating systemic imbalance. Thus, Western medicine and TCM are not equivalent, nor do they share identical therapeutic profiles.
The effect of Chinese medicine on the human body is to support the righteous Qi to expel the pathogenic factor. Western medicine expels the pathogenic factor but leaves the human body battered and bruised. Today, the harm caused by medical drugs to the human body is more severe than the disease itself. Many diseases of unknown cause are caused by drug damage. Many people bear the pain of medical harm day and night, but everyone only hears reports of medical progress and the rapid effect of drugs, but does not see reports of the harm of chemical drugs to the human body. How can TCM and Western medicine be the same? Just as Chinese and Western cuisine cannot be the same, so TCM and Western medicine cannot be confused.
TCM aims to strengthen the body's Righteous Qi (Zheng Qi) to expel Pathogenic Factors (Xie Qi). Western medicine often focuses on eliminating the pathogen, sometimes at the cost of significant collateral damage to healthy tissues. Contemporary critiques suggest that iatrogenic harm from pharmaceuticals may outweigh the benefits of the disease itself. Many idiopathic conditions are attributed to drug toxicity. While society celebrates pharmaceutical advancements and rapid symptom relief, the adverse effects of synthetic chemicals on the human body are often underreported. Just as Chinese and Western cuisines differ fundamentally in composition and philosophy, TCM and Western medicine cannot be conflated.
XVIII. Will Chinese medicine hurt the stomach?
Answer: If one has stomach disease, one must cure the stomach disease first. How can it hurt the stomach? Treating a disease absolutely cannot allow side effects of drugs to occur, let alone complications. Treating a disease absolutely cannot treat this and hurt that, treat that and hurt this. Eating Chinese medicine is like eating meals; it can cure hunger and restore physical strength. It will not make people feel very tired, very fatigued, or very sleepy, harming physical strength and Yuan Qi (Primal Qi) due to medicinal treatment.
Answer: If a patient presents with gastric pathology, the primary objective is to heal the stomach; thus, TCM should not injure the stomach. Therapeutic interventions must avoid inducing adverse drug reactions or complications. Treatment should not be myopic, resolving one issue while creating another. Consuming TCM decoctions is akin to nourishing oneself with food; it alleviates deficiency (hunger) and restores vitality. Properly prescribed TCM should not induce excessive fatigue, lethargy, or depletion of Yuan Qi (Primal Qi).
Drugs used in TCM for treating diseases that are uncomfortable to the body or toxic must undergo appropriate processing (Pao Zhi) beforehand to remove adverse effects and toxicity, achieving the purpose of treating the disease without harming the body.
Herbs utilized in TCM, particularly those with inherent toxicity or harsh properties, undergo specific processing techniques (Pao Zhi) to mitigate adverse effects and reduce toxicity, ensuring therapeutic safety without compromising efficacy.
TCM medication pays more attention to the Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi (Monarch-Minister-Assistant-Courier) principle of medication. It achieves cure and reaches the goal of harmonizing Qi and Blood, enhancing the body's resistance to disease.
TCM prescribing adheres strictly to the "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" (Monarch, Minister, Assistant, Courier) hierarchical formulation principle. This ensures therapeutic efficacy while harmonizing Qi and Blood, thereby bolstering the body's immune resilience.
Orthodox TCM treating diseases absolutely will not have the endless after-effects problem of hurting the stomach and even the five zang and six fu organs like Western medicine.
Orthodox TCM practice does not typically result in the cumulative gastrointestinal or visceral toxicity often associated with long-term Western pharmaceutical use.
Eating Chinese medicine is like eating; when full, one does not want to eat more. Treating a disease is also like this; once cured, there is no need to continue taking medicine. But many people think that Chinese medicine has no side effects and take a certain medicine for a long time, causing the five zang organs to be unable to balance. For example, Babao Powder is an important pediatric medicine, but there is no need to take it frequently. Therefore, the public's understanding of TCM really needs further education.
Consuming TCM is comparable to dining; one ceases intake upon satiety. Similarly, treatment concludes upon cure. However, misconceptions regarding the safety of TCM lead some to engage in long-term self-medication, potentially disrupting Zang-Fu balance. For instance, while *Babao Fen* (Eight-Treasure Powder) is valuable in pediatrics, chronic use is unwarranted. Thus, public education regarding the rational use of TCM is essential.
XIX. Is it better to eat vegetarian or meat?
Answer: Cows eat grass, they do not eat meat. Eating grass makes the cow's body very strong.
Answer: Bovines are herbivores; their diet consists of grass, which contributes to their robust physique.
Tigers eat meat, do not eat grass. Meat makes the tiger's body very strong.
Tigers are carnivores; their consumption of meat sustains their strength.
Humans eat grass, vegetables, fruits, and meat; they are omnivores. Some people like to eat meat, some people like to eat grass, vegetables, and fruits. Because body constitutions are different, the required nutrition is also different.
Humans are omnivores, consuming plant matter, fruits, and animal products. Individual preferences vary; some favor meat, others prefer vegetables. Nutritional requirements differ based on individual constitutional types.
Is it better to eat vegetarian or meat? Take what you need. As long as you eat healthily, it is good. Regardless of age, whether old or young, there are no taboos against eating meat or vegetarian food. Old people don't need to fear cholesterol and blood lipids; children don't need to avoid not eating meat. All things in heaven and earth consider nature the best. Health is also the most natural thing.
Which is better, vegetarian or meat? One should choose according to individual needs. Health is paramount. There are no absolute prohibitions against meat or vegetarianism for either the elderly or children. The elderly need not fear cholesterol and lipids unduly, nor should children be deprived of meat. Nature dictates the optimal state; health is the most natural condition.
Disease enters through the mouth. If one eats something that feels uncomfortable to the body, such as bitter mouth, dry mouth, or stomach discomfort... having a bad effect on the body, the body will naturally produce a reaction. It is not that eating vegetarian is good or eating meat is good. As long as it does not produce discomfort in the body, it is good.
Pathology often originates from dietary indiscretion. If food causes adverse reactions such as bitter taste, dry mouth, or gastric discomfort, it indicates intolerance. The body naturally signals this mismatch. Neither vegetarianism nor omnivory is inherently superior; the key is selecting foods that do not provoke adverse physiological responses.
XX. Do meats cause heart and blood vessel lesions? Should the elderly eat less meat and more vegetables? Correct?
Answer: Today's medicine reports to the public that cholesterol in meat and other things will cause heart and blood vessel lesions. In fact, it is not caused by the meat itself, but by the method of cooking meat and the problem of seasonings, causing lesions.
Answer: Contemporary medical advice suggests that meat-derived cholesterol causes cardiovascular pathology. However, this attribution overlooks the impact of preparation methods and seasoning.
Meat roasted or fried becomes dry and hot in nature. This dry and hot food causes lesions in the heart and blood vessels, actually affecting the five zang and six fu organs. The elderly have weak Qi and Blood. Spicy and dry/hot foods all cause dry mouth and tongue, dizziness, and physical discomfort. The problem is not the cholesterol in the meat, nor is it that meat cannot be eaten, but the cooking method and condiments.
Roasting or frying meat alters its thermal nature to "dry and hot." Consumption of such preparations may strain the cardiovascular system and affect the Zang-Fu organs. Elderly individuals, characterized by declining Qi and Blood, are particularly susceptible to the drying effects of spicy and hot foods, which can manifest as xerostomia, dizziness, and malaise. The pathology lies not in the meat itself, but in the cooking technique and additives.
If meat is steamed or boiled, its nature is not dry or hot. It has no harm to the heart, blood vessels, or the body. Therefore, the elderly do not need to avoid eating meat at all. But today, many elderly people, due to misunderstanding media reports, dare not eat meat. This is really absurd medicine, causing how many elderly people to sigh at meat!
Steaming or boiling meat preserves its neutral nature, avoiding dryness or heat. Such preparations pose no risk to the cardiovascular system or overall health. Therefore, the elderly need not abstain from meat. However, misinformation propagated by media outlets has led many seniors to unnecessarily restrict meat consumption, a misguided practice that compromises their nutritional status.