We are beginning to see that each myth, superstition or legend was founded on truth. There was a city of Troy, for example. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is true (as long as it’s a fresh apple and not candied or made into pie filling.) There is more legend than facts that can be proved in the history of the Chinese’s Traditional Medicine, but that doesn’t make the medical system any less effective. Ancient China medicine is truly unlike any other type of medicine in the world, and is especially different from medicine in the Western world. Practitioners of Chinese medicine states the disorders of diseases in terms of the patterns that they display, and there are eight fundamental patterns that are recognized, which are interior, exterior, heat or cold, excess, deficiency, Yin and Yang.
The history of Chinese Medicine is loaded with medical firsts. It is the first to recommend reading the pulse as a key diagnostic tool. It is the first to map acupressure and acupuncture points in order to keep the body working harmoniously. It is one of the first medical systems to emphasize exercise. It provided one of the first detailed looks at human anatomy and the first recorded use of narcotic drugs for medicinal purposes.The long, meticulously detailed history of Traditional Chinese Medicine reached a crucial point during China’s Cultural Revolution in 1966 - 1976. In that time, the government wanted China to forge a new identity and obliterate any “old-fashioned” ways - including Traditional Medicine. Many Traditional practitioners were jailed or killed outright. Fortunately, many fled China and were given sanctuary in other countries. They have kept the great history of Traditional Medicine from a needless end. China has since regretted the Cultural Revolution and now welcomes Traditional practitioners. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed TCM as a valid healing system in 1980.