The Transmission,Establishment and Cross-cultural Integration of Chinese Medicine in the Mainstream Healthcare,through the Eyes of a Generation of Visionaries and Pioneers

It has historically been very difficult to trace the history of the westward transmission of Chinese medicine through the accounts of its protagonists. Many of the early scholars such as Jack Worsley, Dick Van Buren, and Joe Goodman were reluctant to divulge information about the source of their knowledge, or their professional qualifications. Others, such as John Shen and Hong Yuan-bain were early 20th century immigrants who transmitted highly personalized versions of acupuncture and Chinese medicine to select disciples. Eventually, a new class of scholars appeared, including names such as Ted Kaptchuk, Peter Deadman, Nigel Wiseman, William Morris, Peter Eckman, John Mc Donald, Charles Buck, and the late Giovanni Maciocia who looked for answers back in China, developed translation methodologies and terminology, compiled the main textbooks currently in use at TCM colleges, overcame enormous scholastic adversity, developed courses and pursued the regulation and accreditation of TCM in various countries. This special issue synopsizes the path towards the global acculturation of TCM over the last 50 years, the main protagonists, the enormous accomplishments they have achieved for the profession, their philosophy, their clinical perspectives and visions for the future.

An Interview with Peter Deadman—Acupuncture Pioneer and Founder of The Journal of Chinese Medicine

This interview was conducted on August 21st, 2022 by Charles Buck and Ioannis Solos. Peter Deadman has worked in the field of health promotion for 50 years. He co-founded Infinity Foods(an organic and natural foods workers co-op) in 1971, followed by the Brighton Natural Health Centre-a charity dedicated to teaching ways to improve personal, community and planetary health and wellbeing. He qualified as an acupuncturist in 1978 and in Chinese herbal medicine in 1990. He founded The Journal of Chinese Medicine(UK) in 1979(Fig. 1), and co-authored A Manual of Acupuncture(published in 1998). He is the author of Live Well Live Long: Teachings from the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition. He has taught Chinese medicine and health promotion internationally for decades and is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of Qi Gong(气功).

William Morris,Establishing the Foundation for the Advancement of TCM in the US

The interview was conducted on March 2nd, 2023 by Ioannis Solos and Charles Buck. William Morris has sustained practice since 1980. He has served on the California, Texas and Massachusetts Professional Associations, as well as the National Association. He has tendered 20 years of service to the field through academic medicine, earning a master’s degree in medical education to assist in developing Chinese medical doctoral programs and institutional review boards. He earned an OM.D. in 1988, a DAOM in 2002, and a Ph.D. focused on pulse diagnosis as clinical epistemology in 2009. He has published five books, including TCM Case Studies Dermatology, Li Shi-zhen Pulse Studies: An Illustrated Guide, Neoclassical Pulse Diagnosis, Cycles in Medical Astrology, and Transformation: Treating Trauma with Acupuncture and Herbs.

A Conversation with Professor Ted Kaptchuk,a Key Architect of Modern TCM in the West

The interview was conducted on November 20th,2022 by Ioannis Solos and Charles Buck.Ted Kaptchuk(泰开阳)is a Professor of Medicine and a Professor of Global Health&Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School.In 1975,he graduated from the Macao Institute of Chinese Medicine,Macao,China.After returning to the West,Ted taught Chinese medicine throughout the States,Europe,Latin America,and Australia.Ted’s book,The Web that Has No Weaver:Understanding Chinese Medicine is a groundbreaking explanation of East Asian medicine that continues to shape the discourse of the Chinese medicine profession in the West and has been translated into 13 languages.In 1990,Ted was recruited in Harvard Medical School to help research Chinese medicine.After encountering high placebo responses in multiple acupuncture clinical trials,Ted decided to switch his career to primarily studying placebo.He has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles.He has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Acupuncture Research(2015),the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies(2021),and the William Silen Lifetime Achievement Award in Mentoring from Harvard Medical School(2022).

Traditional Medicine Diagnostic Codes in ICD-11 and Alternative Diagnostic Classifications in the Mainstream Healthcare

In 2018,the 11^(th) Edition of the International Classification of Diseases(ICD-11)defined a diagnostic code list for standard traditional medicine(TM)conditions.The codes improve patient safety by providing more comprehensive and accurate medical records for hospitals in the Western Pacific Region.In these facilities,TM is often a standard of care for those populations.In several mainstream media sources,writers are circumventing evidence-based peer-reviewed medical literature by unduly influencing public opinion and,in this case,against the new ICD-11 codes.The dangers imposed by the transgression of popular writing onto the discipline of peer-reviewed works are present since best practices in medical record-keeping will fail without the inclusion of TM in the ICD-11 codes.Such failures directly affect the health of the patients and policymakers in regions where TM and conventional medicine are combined.This article investigates the boundaries between substantial evidence and popular opinion.In this era where media is used to manipulate evidence,the reader’s use of sound judgment and critical thought are thwarted.This article also challenges three controversial themes in pop literature,including the threat to endangered species,increased patient risk,and contaminants in the TM.These themes are made without evidence and are,in fact,of flawed logic.There is no reason to assume that improved medical record-keeping and knowledge of patient cases increase risks.

Early Interactions between the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman World and the Chinese: The Ancient Afro-Eurasian Routes in Medicine and the Transmission of Disease

This paper discusses the historical exchanges,communications,and circumstances that initially enabled the opening of trade routes between China and the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman world.In addition,it explains how ancient Greeks first became aware of China,and the original premise of trading silk for horses.Historical Chinese texts are analyzed to identify references to the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman world in an attempt to elucidate the extent of official interactions between the two cultures.Historical and archaeological sources confirm that trade existed for millennia before Western Europeans traveled to China during the Age of Exploration.The thesis describes how silk and disease traveled from east to west and explains the historical conditions that allowed the exchange of ideas,practices,beliefs,and culture.

A historical evaluation of Chinese tongue diagnosis in the treatment of septicemic plague in the pre-antibiotic era, and as a new direction for revolutionary clinical research applications

Chinese tongue diagnosis was initially developed to quickly and efficiently diagnose and prescribe medicine, while at the same time allowing the doctor to have minimal contact with the patient. At the time of its compiling, the spread of Yersinia pestis, often causing septicaemia and gangrene of the extremities,may have discouraged doctors to come in direct contact with their patients and take the pulse.However, in recent decades, modern developments in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the spread of antibiotics in conjunction with the advancements of microbiology, have overshadowed the original purpose of this methodology. Nevertheless, the fast approaching post-antibiotic era and the development of artificial intelligence may hold new applications for tongue diagnosis. This article focuses on the historical development of what is the world＇s earliest tongue diagnosis monograph, and discusses the directions that such knowledge may be used in future clinical research.

The Teacher-Disciple Tradition and Secret Teaching in Chinese Medicine

The ancient teacher-disciple tradition is regarded as one of the most celebrated practices within the Chinese medicine world.Such traditions of secrecy,private wisdom and honor are deeply rooted in the theories of Confucianism.This paper only explores the surface of this ancient culture,by investigating relevant popular ancient texts and common Chinese proverbs,as well as utilizing personal experiences,in order to reflect on how the ancient Chinese perceived such practices within their own society and how secret teaching was passed on from teacher to student,including the revelation of secret formulas and their importance and how that tradition differs from our modern-day perspectives.Various rare manuscripts from the author’s personal library are employed in order to provide relative examples of the importance of secret knowledge,and how these secrets applied in the traditional healing.