TCM masters picked successors according to very strict rules

Pei Sheng considers himself a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor trained in a most conventional way.

When he was 8, Pei's father Pei Xueyi, a well-known TCM expert in Beijing Children's Hospital, would ask him to recite the TCM classics. Today, when father and son chat, it is invariably about treating patients.

"When I have a question, I can ask him and he always has the time to explain it to me," said Pei, paediatrician at Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Three years ago, Pei joined a national TCM inheritance programme and realized that the heritage his father had passed on to him had been finally recognized. The programme enabled him to summarize his father's clinical experience and philosophies. Click to learn Chinese herb Herba Cephalanoploris (Xiaoji).

National programme
The ongoing nationwide campaign is aimed at encouraging young TCM doctors to imbibe the clinical expertise of veteran TCM practitioners. Since 2003, 599 famous TCM doctors have been invited to join the TCM inheritance programme.

For 2,000 years, TCM practice was passed down from father to son, or from master to apprentice. Over the past half-a-century, TCM education has been adopting a Western medical education model.

However, this model is not working well. There are complaints that some young TCM graduates are not providing satisfactory treatment to their patients.

Reviving the traditional apprenticeship system is seen as an important step toward rescuing this ancient system of medicine. Click to learn Chinese herb Rhizoma Bletillae (Baiji).

TCM masters generally cannot elucidate a complete theory, Pei said. Only when encountering particular diseases, can they explain their particular prescriptions. Such experiential knowledge cannot be gleaned from textbooks.

Xie Youhong and Wang Bei, chief physicians with the Rheumatism Diseases Department of Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, agree with Pei.

The two young doctors graduated from the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, where they said they learnt few TCM analytical skills and had little hands-on experience.

Three years ago, Xie and Wang were lucky to become formal apprentices to Zhou Naiyu, an old TCM doctor in the same hospital. Click to learn Chinese herb Cacumen Biotae (Cebaiye).

Everyday, they followed Zhou into the outpatient department and observed her examining patients, making diagnosis and writing out her prescriptions.

Wang and her colleagues knew Zhou's prescriptions were clearly successful. But they did not know why she was doing better than the other doctors.

"It's like playing basketball. We had learnt the skills of dribbling and shooting in college. But in clinical practice, sometimes we don't quite know the right time to shoot or dribble. It was our master who showed this to us."

Xie and Wang were surprised to see that Zhou often used the monkshood, a highly toxic herb, to treat arthritis patients, to great effect. Zhou also adds other herbs to reduce the toxicity of the monkshood while enhancing its medical effects. Click to learn Chinese herb Radix Sanguisorbae (Diyu).

Knowing the right amount to use and the right timing are crucial to treatment, which Xie said no textbooks had recordeQQd.

Wang said following Zhou had enabled her to see many types of rheumatism she had never heard of before. Each type is related to weather, tiredness or emotions and requires specific treatment.

Xie said with the master-apprentice bond in place, she had learned some rare skills from Zhou.

Both Wang and Xie said the three years of apprenticeship had opened up a totally different TCM world to them. They have improved their skills and now have more patients queuing up for them.

Traditionally, TCM masters picked successors according to very strict rules, either from their own families or from among their apprentices.

To study under a famous master is a dream for many TCM practitioners. But to realize it, one has to be talented and faithful to TCM practice. Of course, a bit of luck is also needed.

After graduating from the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in the 1960s, Zhou was assigned to the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. Years later, she became assistant to Wang Dajing, who was the best apprentice of Shi Jinmo, one of the four most famous TCM doctors in Beijing of the early 20th century. Click to learn Chinese herb Rhizoma Zingiberis Praeparata (Paojiang).

To be an apprentice means much more than just following the master to treat patients. Zhou stayed close to Wang, even taking care of his daily needs at home.

For Zhou, Wang was like a father. The bond never weakened even after Wang died in 1990.

Though TCM doctors study the same medical classics, they follow their masters' style in clinical practice. There are many different schools of TCM which apply dramatically different strategies for the same diseases.

For example, Wang Dajing was good at using herbal medicines with heat properties, such as monkshood. Doctor Zhou has adhered to her master's tradition.

"A good understanding of the master's school of thinking is necessary, or one can get confused and not know the right choice," said Zhou.

"I hope the knowledge I have learnt from my master can live on in future generations." Click to learn Chinese herb Radix Rubiae (Qiancaogen).

Pei Sheng has never attended a TCM college, but he sees that as an advantage. He believes reading the classics, following the masters in clinical practice and repeated practice are the secrets that go into making a good TCM doctor.

"TCM practice is like cooking. Though the ingredients are the same, good cooks always make delicious food while bad cooks do not," said Pei.

"I am a good 'cook' though I never went to a cookery school."

Article source: chinadaily