Wang Jimin(王吉民)and History of Chinese Medicine(《中国医史》)

Wang Jimin was not only a distinguished medical historian in modem China and an academician of the International Academy of the History of Science but also an originator of the first Museum of Chinese Medical[History and of the Chinese Medical History Society.This study briefly introduces Wang’s family academic history,his groundbreaking achievements in studies on medical history and the first monograph of History of Chinese Medicine(English edition)in China.It also reviews the foundation of the first Museum of Chinese Medical History.

PROSPECT OF MEDICAL GENETICS IN CHINA FROM A HISTORICAL POINT OF VIEW

The history of medical genetics is briefly reviewed. It is evident that medical genetics with its inseparable part, clinical genetics, started out as a cfinical science from the very beginning. Its robust development in the developed countries is the result of a close interaction between the basic sciences and clinical genetics. In China, however, clinical genetics has not received due emphasis and medical genetics is still not recognized as one of the medical specialties. This is in marked contrast to the situation in the West. It is high time to acknowledge that medical genetics is a medical specialty and to promote clinical genetics service in qualified hospitals in our country.

Reconstruction of Knowledge and Medical Images in the Convergence of Chinese and Western Medicine:Taking “Sweet Meat” as an Example

The pancreas is neither part of the five Zang organs(五脏) nor the six Fu organs(六腑).Thus,it has received little attention in Chinese medical literature.In the late 19th century,medical missionaries in China started translating and introducing anatomical and physiological knowledge about the pancreas.As for the word pancreas,an early and influential translation was “sweet meat”(甜肉),proposed by Benjamin Hobson(合信).The translation “sweet meat” is not faithful to the original meaning of “pancreas”,but is a term coined by Hobson based on his personal habits,and the word “sweet” appeared by chance.However,in the decades since the term “sweet meat” became popular,Chinese medicine practitioners,such as Tang Zonghai(唐宗海),reinterpreted it by drawing new medical illustrations for “sweet meat” and giving new connotations to the word “sweet”.This discussion and interpretation of “sweet meat” in modern China,particularly among Chinese medicine professionals,is not only a dissemination and interpretation of the knowledge of “pancreas”,but also a construction of knowledge around the term “sweet meat”.

The Acquisition and Utility of the Family Medical History in Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Acquisition of family medical history (FMH) is emphasized as a part of obtaining a complete medical history, but whether FMH is consistently documented and utilized in primary care, as well as how it can affect patient care in this context, remains unclear. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine: 1) if FMH is regularly acquired in a representative primary care practice (the Queen’s Family Health Team, QFHT);2) what is included in the FMH obtained;3) what the utility of FMH is with regards to patient management in primary care;and 4) to utilize healthcare practitioners’ perspectives in order to elucidate any findings regarding the acquisition and utility of FMH at the QFHT. Methods: Patients were interviewed in order to obtain their FMH. For each patient, the FMH obtained was compared to the FMH documented in the patient’s record to determine the record’s completeness. Each patient’s FMH was analyzed for significant history of coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), substance abuse (SA) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Participants were patients scheduled for appointments at the QFHT between May and July 2011. Any patient of the QFHT older than 25 years was eligible to participate. Clinical staff of the QFHT completed an online questionnaire to determine healthcare practitioners’ perspectives regarding the acquisition and utility of FMH. Results: 83 patients participated in the study. Participants ranged in age from 25 - 86 years (median: 63 years);69% were female. FMH present in patients’ records was often either incomplete (42% of charts reviewed) or not documented at all (51% of charts reviewed). Knowledge of FMH can affect patient management in primary care for the diseases assessed (CAD, DMII, SA and CRC). HCP do consider FMH to be important in clinical practice and 86% of respondents stated that they regularly inquired about patients’ FMH. Interpretation: Despite the belief by HCP that FMH is important, there is a disparity between this belief and their practices regarding its documentation and utilization. Finally, analysis of the FMH of the representative population studied shows that information commonly missing in patients’ FMH can affect patient management at a primary care level.

Epistemic Genres as a Conceptual Tool in the History of Chinese Medicine

This article summarizes the collaboration between two historians of medicine on Sino-European medical exchanges.Gianna Pomata researches the history of medicine in early modern Europe and Marta Hanson researches the history of medicine in early modern China.The following covers the concept of epistemic genres that Pomata first developed out of her research on the history of the genres historia,observationes,recipes,medical cases,and the commentary in Europe.She connected these genres variously to empiricism,erudition,scientific observation,norm-making,and recording practice.The paper then evaluates how Pomata and Hanson used epistemic genres as a method for doing cross-cultural research on 17th-18th-century Sino-European medical exchanges.Pomata then wrote a comparative history of the medical case in Europe and China.The article concludes with how Hanson applied the distinction of epistemic genres to analyze the history of Chinese medicine from a new perspective.

History of the Chinese Medicinal Gelatin

This article discusses the history of animal glue(gelatin)used in medical practice in China.In ancient times,gelatin was widely made from cowhide and has been found in excavations and wall paintings older than 2000 years in Egypt,Greece,and China.However,it has been used medicinally almost exclusively in China and other East Asian countries influenced by Chinese medicine.Since 11th century,donkey-hide has gradually been replaced with cowhide in medicinal gelatin.Currently,donkey-hide gelatin is widely used medicinally in China.During the Edo period,medicinal gelatin was imported to Japan from China.Owing to the distaste for eating animal flesh in traditional Japanese culture,the production of gelatin and its medicinal use is not widespread in Japan.

Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia: A Brief Historical Overview of the Institutions

Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)in British Malaya developed concurrently with the influx of Chinese immigrants.To cater for tins growing community,Chinese medical halls which sell Chinese herbs were established in major townships.Consultation and various TCM treatments were also offered by contract TCM practitioners in some of these medical halls.As the needs for TCM services continued to grow,dedicated TCM institutions were set up subsequently.The establishment of these institutions marked the beginning of professional TCM services in the history of Malaysia.

Discussion on Professor Ba Jigemude's Research Methods of the History of Mongolian Medicine

The research methods of the history of Mongolian medicine refer to the general and special methods used in the understanding and research of the history of Mongolian medicine,as well as the methods of expression and compilation of the research achievements of the history of Mongolian medicine.There are not only analysis and generalization,abstractness and concreteness,deduction and induction,historical and logical methods,but also traditional philology methods such as textual research,exegesis and collation,as well as new methods such as field investigation method,empirical method,measurement method,comparison method,and oral account method.In the actual research process,a variety of methods are often used comprehensively.This paper mainly discusses the methods used by Professor Ba Jigemude in the study of the history of Mongolian medicine,and uses specific cases to analyze and summarize the formation and development of the history of ancient traditional medicine.

A Historical Overview on Medical Exchanges between China and Vietnam

This article reviews the history of transmission and exchange of medicine between China and Vietnam.Systematic textual research found medical activities such as doctor visits,epidemics transmission,exchanges of therapies,import of local herbal,and drug specialties occurred in both countries.Vietnamese traditional medicine was once a truly large-scale system and one of the biggest branches of Chinese medicine abroad in history.

Essays in the History of Medicine

Professor Karl Sudhoff had spent most of his career time researching the history of medical development in medieval Europe.The book collects the source fragment of the evidence of Professor Sudhoff's job.

A Brief Introduction of Yi Xue Shi (《医学史》 History of Medicine)

The book Yi Xue Shi(《医学史》History of Medicine)was written and edited by Cecilia Mettler and Fred Mettler couple,published in 1947.The book is about the literature research of systematic introduction to the history of medical development worldwide.The book provides a detailed description of the development of various medical disciplines and subjects through various documents and the authors and publication dates.Especially,Prof.Mettler has introduced the Chinese Yin and Yang(阴阳)and the five element theory(五行学说)and Shen Nung’s Materia Medica(神农本草)in this book.

"History of Medicine"-a neglected topic in medical schools in India, Nepal, and the Caribbean

History of medicine is not addressed in medical schools in India,Nepal,and the Caribbean.The history of medicine in these areas include indigenous medical systems,the western medicine introduced by the colonial powers,and the medical systems developed after independence or overthrow of feudalism.In the meantime,less attention has been paid to teaching"history of medicine".There are several advantages in teaching the history of medicine to medical students.Courses on the history of medicine can be offered both face-to-face and online.

History of Helicobacter pylori,duodenal ulcer,gastric ulcer and gastric cancer

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection underlies gastric ulcer disease, gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer disease. The disease expression reflects the pattern and extent of gastritis/gastric atrophy (i.e., duodenal ulcer with non-atrophic and gastric ulcer and gastric cancer with atrophic gastritis). Gastric and duodenal ulcers and gastric cancer have been known for thousands of years. Ulcers are generally non-fatal and until the 20th century were difficult to diagnose. However, the presence and pattern of gastritis in past civilizations can be deduced based on the diseases present. It has been suggested that gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer both arose or became more frequent in Europe in the 19th century. Here, we show that gastric cancer and gastric ulcer were present throughout the 17th to 19th centuries consistent with atrophic gastritis being the predominant pattern, as it proved to be when it could be examined directly in the late 19th century. The environment before the 20th century favored acquisition of H. pylori infection and atrophic gastritis (e.g., poor sanitation and standards of living, seasonal diets poor in fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in winter, vitamin deficiencies, and frequent febrile infections in childhood). The latter part of the 19th century saw improvements in standards of living, sanitation, and diets with a corresponding decrease in rate of development of atrophic gastritis allowing duodenal ulcers to become more prominent. In the early 20th century physician’s believed they could diagnose ulcers clinically and that the diagnosis required hospitalization for “surgical disease” or for “Sippy” diets. We show that while H. pylori remained common and virulent in Europe and the United States, environmental changes resulted in changes of the pattern of gastritis producing a change in the manifestations of H. pylori infections and subsequently to a rapid decline in transmission and a rapid decline in all H. pylori-related diseases.

Family history and disease outcomes in patients with Crohn's disease:A comparison between China and the United States

AIM To investigate the differences in family history of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) and clinical outcomes among individuals with Crohn's disease(CD) residing in China and the United States.METHODS We performed a survey-based cross-sectional study of participants with CD recruited from China and the United States.We compared the prevalence of IBD family history and history of ileal involvement,CD-related surgeries and IBD medications in China and the United States,adjusting for potential confounders.RESULTS We recruited 49 participants from China and 145 from the United States.The prevalence of family history of IBD was significantly lower in China compared with the United States(China:4.1%,United States:39.3%).The three most commonly affected types of relatives were cousin,sibling,and parent in the United States compared with child and sibling in China.Ileal involvement(China:63.3%,United States:63.5%) and surgery for CD(China:51.0%,United States:49.7%) were nearly equivalent in the two countries.CONCLUSION The lower prevalence of familial clustering of IBD in China may suggest that the etiology of CD is less attributed to genetic background or a family-shared environment compared with the United States.Despite the potential difference in etiology,surgery and ileal involvement were similar in the two countries.Examining the changes in family history during the continuing rise in IBD may provide further insight into the etiology of CD.

Importance of communication in medical practice and medical education:An emphasis on empathy and attitudes and their possible influences

BACKGROUND Healthcare professionals need to be prepared to promote healthy lifestyles and care for patients.By focusing on what students should be able to perform one day as clinicians,we can bridge the gap between mere theoretical knowledge and its practical application.Gender aspects in clinical medicine also have to be considered when speaking of personalized medicine and learning curricula.AIM To determine sets of intellectual,personal,social,and emotional abilities that comprise core qualifications in medicine for performing well in anamnesis-taking,in order to identify training needs.METHODS An analysis of training clinicians’conceptions with respect to optimal medical history taking was performed.The chosen study design also aimed to assess gender effects.Structured interviews with supervising clinicians were carried out in a descriptive study at the Medical University of Vienna.Results were analyzed by conducting a qualitative computer-assisted content analysis of the interviews.Inductive category formation was applied.The main questions posed to the supervisors dealt with(1)Observed competencies of students in medical history taking;and(2)The supervisor’s own conceptions of"ideal medical history taking".RESULTS A total of 33 training clinicians(n=33),engaged in supervising medical students according to the MedUni Vienna’s curriculum standards,agreed to be enrolled in the study and met inclusion criteria.The qualitative content analysis revealed the following themes relevant to taking an anamnesis:(1)Knowledge;(2)Soft skills(relationship-building abilities,trust,and attitude);(3)Methodical skills(structuring,precision,and completeness of information gathering);and(4)Environmental/contextual factors(language barrier,time pressure,interruptions).Overall,health care professionals consider empathy and attitude as critical features concerning the quality of medical history taking.When looking at physicians’theoretical conceptions,more general practitioners and psychiatrists mentioned attitude and empathy in the context of"ideal medical history taking",with a higher percentage of females.With respect to observations of students’history taking,a positive impact from attitude and empathy was mainly described by male health care professionals,whereas no predominance of specialty was found.Representatives of general medicine and internal medicine,when observing medical students,more often emphasized a negative impact on history taking when students lacked attitude or showed non-empathetic behavior;no gender-specific difference was detected for this finding.CONCLUSION The analysis reveals that for clinicians engaged in medical student education,only a combination of skills,including adequate knowledge and methodical implementations,is supposed to guarantee acceptable performance.This study’s findings support the importance of concepts like relationship building,attitude,and empathy.However,there may be contextual factors in play as well,and transference of theoretical concepts into the clinical setting might prove challenging.

Historical reflections on autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis(AIH),initially known as chronic active or active chronic hepatitis(and by various other names),first came under clinical notice in the late 1940s.However,quite likely,chronic active hepatitis(CAH) had been observed prior to this and was attributed to a persistently destructive virus infection of the liver.An earlier(and controversial) designation in 1956 as lupoid hepatitis was derived from associated L.E.cell test positivity and emphasized accompanying multisystem features and immunological aberrations.Young women featured prominently in early descriptions of CAH.AIH was first applied in 1965 as a descriptive term.Disease-characteristic autoantibodies were defined from the early 1960s,notably antinuclear antibody(ANA),smooth muscle antibody(SMA) and liver-kidney microsomal(LKM) antibody.These are still widely used diagnostically but their relationship to pathogenesis is still not evident.A liver and disease specific autoantigen has long been searched for but unsuccessfully.Prolonged immunosuppressive therapy with predisolone and azathioprine in the 1960s proved beneficial and remains standard therapy today.AIH like many other autoimmune diseases is associated with particular HLA alleles especially with the "ancestral" B8,DR3 haplotype,and also with DR4.Looking forwards,AIH is one of the several enigmatic autoimmune diseases that,despite being(relatively) organ specific,are marked by autoimmune reactivities with non-organ-specific autoantigens.New paradigms are needed to explain the occurrence,expressions and pathogenesis of such diseases.

Voyage of Ben Cao, Part I: Discovery of Kam Wah Chung, the Overlooked Chinese Medicine Museum in the United States

1 Introduction Imagery of the Western United States typically evokes vast wheat fields,cowboys,and rolling mountain valleys.Few would associate the American West with Chinese medicine.This article describes a remote town called John Day,which is located in a mountainous terrain in Oregon,and presents the remarkable story of the Kam Wah Chung Museum(Fig.1).

Establishment of the First Professional Organization of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in California

The California Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Research Association,founded on March 25,1974,is the first Chinese medicine organization registered with the state government in California.It was established after more than a year of arduous preparation and had 15 founding members.Over time,it evolved into the biggest organization of Chinese medicine and acupuncture in California.And in 2015,it became the American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture with more than 500 members.

The complicated life of a physician-soldier: Medical readiness training exercises &the problem of dual loyalties

While physicians are generally understood as owing moral obligation to the health and well being of their individual patients, military health professionals can face ethical tensions between responsibilities to individual patients and responsibilities to the military mission. The conflicting obligations of the two roles held by the physician-soldier are often referred to as the problem of dual loyalties and have long been a topic of debate. This paper seeks to enrich the dualloyalties debate by examining the embedded case study of medical civilian assistance programs. These programs represent the use of medicine within the military for strategic goals. Thus, a physician is expected to meet his obligation to his role as a soldier while also practicing medicine. These programs involve obligations inherent in both roles of the physician-soldier and thusly they serve as excellent exemplars for the problem of dual loyalties at an institutional level. This paper focuses on Medical Readiness Training Exercises (MEDRETEs). These programs are short-term, generally taking place in low-income nations in order to accomplish strategic goals including training opportunities for military medical professionals that are not possible on the home front. This form of temporary program raises ethical concerns regarding the exploitation of vulnerable populations and the value of what is termed “parachute medicine”. The short-term nature of these interventions makes long-term treatment and follow-up impossible, begging the question as to whether this peak and trough approach to foreign civilian aid is of any use. Physicians are generally understood as having obligations towards the well being of the patient, which these programs do not necessarily prioritize. Rather, the programmatic intent is military, with political and strategic aims of furthering international relations, increasing US military global presence and providing austere and tropical training opportunities for military healthcare providers. This can be morally problematic for the physician-soldier.

Association between Early Marriage and Other Sociomedical Characteristics with the Cervical Pap Smear Results in Iraqi Women

Background: The standard screening test for cervical cancer is the Pap smear and cervical cancer is a significant health issue worldwide. Early sexual activity, multiple sexual partnerships, parity, young age at first pregnancy and early marriage are traditional risk factors for developing cervical cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of early marriage in on the results of Pap smear in Iraqi women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 women who attended the Women Health Clinic of Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital, Baghdad for the period from November 2013 to April 2014. Data were collected through direct interview and a prepared questionnaire including patients’ characteristics and Pap smear results. Results: Mean age of studied women was 39.9 ± 11.4 years and mean age of marriage was 19 ± 5 years. Abnormal Pap results were reported in 63.5% of them. A significant association was observed between abnormal Pap smear and each of age 20 - 30 years, ≤18 years age at marriage, marriage duration >10 years, irregular menstrual cycle, tubal ligation and abnormal medical history (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Early marriage was strongly associated with abnormal Pap smear results in Iraqi women.