In Springtime, Support Your Liver!
In Chinese medicine, the start of spring is based on the traditional Chinese solar calendar, which divides the year into 24 solar terms. The first solar term is called Lìchūn (立春), meaning «Beginning of Spring.» This marks the official start of spring in TCM and typically occurs around February 3rd or 4th, depending on the […]
The Difference between Chinese and Modern Western Medicine
Chinese and modern Western medicine are very different in terms of how disease and ill-health are conceived and treated, and in terms of their relative advantages and disadvantages. I will attempt to describe these differences below, but I should point out that what follows is just my own understanding, and others may have other opinions. […]
The «EJiao» Problem
Chinese herbal medicine uses a very large number of remedies, mostly plant material but also including minerals and some animal products. All of these are conventionally, if somewhat illogically, termed «herbs» in Chinese medicine. Some of the animal medicines are problematic for animal welfare, environmental, biodiversity or socio-economic reasons. One such is EJiao – Donkey […]