MEDICINE

=//__**Chinese Medicine**__ //  = ==**Medicine is known all around the world for healing the wounded and curing the sick. In China, the practice of Chinese medicine is well respected and is very important to the Chinese culture. The two main and most popular forms of Chinese medicine are Acupuncture and Traditional Herbal Medicine.** ==



[[image:a.c.p.2.jpg width="172" height="172" align="left" caption="1- this is a diagram of the main acupuncture points on the human body"]]
Every person has had to visit a doctor at some time. Chinese acupuncture is the reason why medicine today is as good as it is. Acupuncture is when sharp needles are put into certain areas of the body. It is used to relax and heal the body, and is a medical procedure used to help cure illness. Qi is the energy that flows and exists in every body. Chinese acupuncture is said to allow qi to flow through the body. It is an important influence on medicine today. This is because Chinese medicine has been practiced for thousands of years, there are many different ways it can help a patient, and it can be learned by anyone.

Acupuncture is an ancient medicine that has been studied for thousands of years. It was used by Chinese dynasties and is still used today. “They have been practiced consistently for the past five thousand years” (Hirsh). This quote shows that acupuncture is a medical practice that has been perfected and studied for over the ages. Since it has been studied and used for such a long time, it can be considered to be an accurate and successful medical procedure. Another reason why Chinese acupuncture is an important influence on medicine today is because there are many different ways it can help a patient.

Chinese acupuncture can help a patient in many ways. “Along these meridians more than three hundred acupoints are identified, each having its own therapeutic action” (Chao). The ancient Chinese divided the body up with meridians, which contains hundreds of acupuncture points. Meridians are imaginary lines that divide the body into sections, each section containing vital points for the body’s health. Each point has a different action, and if you insert a needle into a certain point, you could heal the body of an illness. Chinese acupuncture can be used for many things including healing a body of almost any disease and illness. It can also be learned by anyone.

Chinese acupuncture has been studied for centuries. It is so simple that anyone can learn it. “The text of this work was also engraved on two stone steles more than two meters high and seven meters in width, and were erected at Kaifeng, then capital of the Northern Song dynasty, for public benefit” (Ancient Chinese Acupuncture). By putting the text of how to perform acupuncture on tablets for the public, it made acupuncture accessible for everyone. If a family member fell ill, they could be easily healed by using acupuncture. Chinese acupuncture has allowed the ancient Chinese people to survive illness and disease through the ages.

Ancient Chinese acupuncture shaped medical procedures today. This is because it has been practiced for thousands of years, there are many different ways it can help a patient, and it can be learned by anyone. The thought of a person getting needles stuck into them is intriguing. It can relax and heal a body, and is a widely used medical procedure. Without Chinese acupuncture, me dicine today would not be as good as it is. ===__**Traditional Herbal Medicine **__ **//By Sam S.//** ===


<span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Traditional Chinese medicine has been practiced by the Chinese people for over thousands of years. The concepts and ideas used in the development of this ancient practice are based off of important aspects of the culture of China. The function of herbal medicine is of both medicine and magic and has, in turn, become an important part of Chinese culture. Also, Chinese Herbal medicine is based off of traditional beliefs of balance, involves the use of symbolic herbs, and is important to the preservation of Chinese culture.

<span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">All around the world the famous symbol of yin and yang represents balance, "The term 'balance' refers to the relative factors of yin-yang" (ThirdAge 2). This concept is applied to the practice of Herbal medicine. "Health exists when the body is balanced and its energy is freely flowing" (ThirdAge 2). The basic idea of the herbs in herbal medicine is to re-establish the balance of the human body. When a person is healthy, their body's energy is balanced, but when that person is sick, their body balance is off. The Chinese believed that the use of herbs would made the sick person's energy balanced again which would make them healthy again. In Chinese herbal medicine, many traditional herbs with different purposes were used to maintain the all important body balance. All the types of herbs would be paired with other herbs to achive a common goal; to make the sick person healthy. The herbs generally used in the practice can be divided into four main groups: ministerial, deputy, assistant, and envoy. The ministerial herbs purpose was to find the pattern of the illness so that the deputy herbs could stop the conditions of the illness. The assistant herbs would reduce the side effects of the first two herbs and the envoy herbs would provide therpy for the affected part of the body. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine was and still is an important part of Chinese culture. Many people in China and all around the world continue to use this ancient practice to heal their sick and unhealthy. <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);">**Works Cited: Direct Quotes**

"Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine | Articles." __ThirdAge__. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.thirdage.com/healthguide/traditional-chinese-herbal- medicine>.

"Traditional Chinese medicine: Information from Answers.com." __Answers.com -__ __Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more__. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.answers.com/topic/traditional-chinese-medicine>.

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 * Works Cited: Pictures**

Chinese Herbs. [Online Image] http://www.carlisledining.com/b2b/pics/Chinese_Herb_Medicine.jpg, March 18, 2009.

Yin-Yang. [Online Image] http://z.about.com/d/taoism/1/0/0/-/-/-/yinYang.gif, March 18, 2009.

Yin-Yang with Person. [Online Image] http://www.demarcoacupuncture.com/images/herbal.jpg, March 18, 2009.