Think deepest and follow the development of the story, please trouble the officials to click "Follow", it is more convenient to communicate with the author, share with the reader, and experience the human situation together.
The text and editor ✎ said in history
Since the Yuan Dynasty, Westerners have begun to understand Chinese medicine. However, the in-depth study of TCM was carried out after the arrival of the Ming Dynasty and later the Jesuits in China.
Missionaries from the East in the 16th century saw science and technology as an important means of gaining a foothold in China, of which medicine was particularly important.
As it became difficult for missionaries to practice medicine in China, they turned to the study of Chinese medicine.
The depth of research and views of Western missionaries on TCM were diverse by their culture, life background, scientific literacy, and other factors.
However, it was through them that TCM was widely introduced to Western society and attracted great attention.
Fan Li'an and Matteo Ricci were the first to discuss Chinese medicine
In the second half of the 16th century, Father Fan Li'an of the Jesuit diocese of Goa came to Macau and began to systematically collect materials and information about China, hoping to be able to preach in China.
He commented that compared to them, Chinese science is incomplete and seems to remain stuck in the era before the advent of ancient philosophy and Christian civilization.
However, Chinese have excellent skills and knowledge in natural and moral philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and other disciplines, especially calligraphy and Mandarin, which take a long time to master.
After that, Matteo Ricci, who had lived in China for nearly 30 years, began to observe and record Chinese medicine materials. He praised the richness and variety of Chinese herbs and said Chinese medicine was included in the rules they followed when using them.
Matteo Ricci also deeply analyzed the phenomenon of advocating the imperial examination and neglecting mathematics and medical research in traditional Chinese society at that time.
He pointed out that there are no public medical schools in China, and everyone who wants to study medicine must be taught by someone who knows the art of medicine. Although it is possible to obtain a medical degree through the examination of the hospital, this is only a formality, and there is no practical benefit.
In China, a doctor with a degree is no more authoritative or respected than a doctor without a degree, because anyone can treat a patient, whether he is proficient in medicine or not.
In China, almost no one is dedicated to the study of mathematics and medicine, because these fields are not honored and encouraged like philosophy.
These questions revealed important issues in Chinese society and culture at the time, which Matteo Ricci had a profound understanding of 400 years ago.
Portuguese and Polish missionaries' study of the veins of Chinese medicine
The Portuguese missionary Zeng Tak Chao compared the treatment methods of Chinese medicine and Western medicine, pointing out that Chinese medicine does not use bloodletting, glass congestion, syrups, medicines, pills or cautery therapy, but only dry Chinese herbs such as grass, roots, fruits and seeds.
He also introduced Chinese pulse diagnosis to the West, emphasizing that Chinese has great knowledge in pulse science, through which it is possible to determine the type of disease and predict its progression.
Later, the Polish Jesuit Bumig began to systematically study the study of pulses, and translated the book "Pulse Recipe" into the West, praising Chinese for his great knowledge of pulse science and the construction of the practice of medicine.
The introduction and research of these missionaries had a positive impact on the understanding and application of Chinese medicine in the West, and even in the early 19th century, acupuncture was widely used in France, and related research institutions and academic activities appeared.
The "Compendium of Materia Medica" was transmitted to Europe as a giant canon of oriental medicine
In the early Qing Dynasty, Chinese medicine spread to Europe. As a giant canon of oriental medicine, the "Compendium of Materia Medica" compiled by the Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen comprehensively sorted out and summarized Chinese herbal medicine.
Among them, the plant part was translated into Latin by Bu Mige in 1659 and called the Flora of China, and some of the medicinal herbs were introduced.
The French sinologist Du Hede introduced the important contents of the Compendium of Materia Medica, in his book "Chronicle of the Chinese Empire", praising Li Shizhen for describing each herb in detail, including the place of growth, collection method, medicinal properties, uses and dosage.
Chinese herbal medicines such as ginseng and cordyceps have attracted the attention of Westerners because of their unique medicinal properties. The Jesuits Dudmé and Bardomin described the medicinal benefits of ginseng and cordyceps in their letters and writings.
Among them, ginseng can treat the debilitation caused by physical and mental overwork, while cordyceps has the effect of invigorating qi and nourishing blood, improving appetite and enhancing physical strength.
The production methods of traditional Chinese medicines such as rhubarb, ejiao, and autumn stone, especially the pox planting technique, have attracted the attention of Westerners. In the long-term process of smallpox control, China invented the human pox vaccination method.
In the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were already doctors who were specifically responsible for pox vaccination, and under the promotion of the Kangxi Emperor, human pox vaccination was promoted nationwide and achieved good results.
The Jesuit Yin Hongxu introduced China's human pox vaccination method to the West. He compared Chinese and British pox methods and concluded that China's vaccination methods are milder and less dangerous.
The French thinker Voltaire praised China's pox planting technique as a great precedent and example.
Chinese method of growing pox is slightly different from the West, they do not cut the skin, but inhale the pox seedlings through the nostrils, this way is more comfortable, but the result is still effective.
Voltaire believed that if France had also practiced pox surgery, millions of lives might have been saved. These introductions and praise have played an important role in Westerners' understanding of Chinese pox seeding and traditional Chinese medicine production methods.
Traditional Chinese medicine, which was introduced to the West, has attracted widespread attention
In the 19th century, TCM, which was introduced to the West, attracted widespread attention, but there were two attitudes towards TCM in the West. On the one hand, some missionaries who came to China had a positive attitude towards Chinese medicine through the study of Chinese medicine, and some directly benefited from the treatment of Chinese medicine.
For example, the French Jesuit Fang Dewang was treated by Chinese doctors because he was seriously ill, and he spoke highly of Chinese medicine.
He believes that Chinese doctors have extraordinary skills in diagnosing pulses and the drugs they use are very effective.
He also introduced the practice of TCM to Europeans, describing it as a miraculous service. "I dare say that it is very beneficial to introduce Europeans to this treatment that does not require bloodletting or laxation," Fang said.
Chinese will continue to contribute in this regard. Similarly, missionary Qian Deming also conducted in-depth research on Chinese medicine and highly praised China's medical achievements.
He believes that most medical books in Chinese medicine are about prescriptions or diagnoses, and these prescriptions or methods have undergone countless practical verifications.
After determining some general principles and basic standards, the medical book explains in detail the occurrence of diseases in different parts, accompanied by pathological analysis, reflecting the relatively complete medical system of ancient Chinese medicine.
Not only that, but Qian also used his own experience to refute the doubts of some Westerners about Chinese doctors, especially the remarks that they are charlatans.
He said unceremoniously that if it weren't for the treatment methods of Chinese doctors, I am afraid he would have died a long time ago. This first-hand experience gave him confidence in Chinese medicine and firmly defended its value.
Although there is a debate about TCM in the West, this controversy has contributed to the spread of TCM to some extent. Whenever a fallacy appears, there are always some knowledgeable people who stand up and refute it, so that the truth is clearer.
The Jesuits' study of Chinese medicine was a response to European academia. In particular, the criticism and discussion of Chinese medicine by the famous French doctor Renodor had a great influence in Europe, especially among the Jesuits, which caused various backlashes.
The outcome of this debate has led Europeans to a deeper understanding of TCM.
Although in the late 19th century, the "Western medicine transmission" gradually increased, Chinese medicine still has a certain influence in the exchange of Chinese and Western medicine.
In the case of fundamental differences in medical concepts and ways of thinking between Chinese and Western medicine, some missionaries lack a real understanding and in-depth knowledge of Chinese medicine.
Difficulties in translation further increase the cognitive barriers to TCM, which has made it difficult for many missionaries and Westerners to accept TCM.
Compared with Western medicine, they believe that traditional Chinese medicine lacks a rigorous scientific system in diagnosis, treatment and return visits to patients, and even lacks pathological explanations.
They believe that TCM is only a transmission of the experience of the ancients and retain many superstitious concepts. Therefore, some missionaries believed that TCM was akin to witchcraft, and believed that due to the lack of strict assessment and certification, there were a large number of quacks in society at that time, in order to deny the achievements of Chinese medicine.
For example, the famous French writer Beyer criticized: "Chinese medicine does not understand principles, has no knowledge of anatomy, and has a disdainful attitude towards China's pulse diagnosis." ”
There are also some missionaries who believe that Chinese medicine is mainly based on wild plants, only grass root bark, and cannot treat major diseases.
Missionary Han Ying believed that Chinese medicine was flawed in its production, arguing that Chinese medicine did not pay much attention to the efficacy of chemicals and plant fossils, but focused on the use of metals, plants and animals, and still used ancient pharmaceutical methods.
Although some missionaries have prejudices and controversies about TCM, this controversy has also contributed to the spread of TCM to some extent.
When a fallacy appears, it often causes opposition from some people of insight, so that the truth is clearer.
The Jesuits' research on TCM was a response to European academia. In particular, the criticism and discussion of Chinese medicine by the famous French doctor Renoldro had a great influence in Europe, especially among the Jesuits, which caused various backlashes.
The outcome of these debates has led Europeans to a deeper understanding of TCM. However, this has not changed the overall trend of exchanges between China and the West in the field of medicine.
Even in the late Qing Dynasty, under the background of the gradual introduction of Western medicine into China, the "Western transmission of traditional Chinese medicine" still showed a certain influence under the gradual strengthening of "Western medicine transmission".
——End——