The Transmission of Chinese Medicine (Cambridge Studies in Medical Anthropology, Series Number 7)

This is one of the first studies of traditional medical education in an Asian country. Conducting extensive fieldwork in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province in the People's Republic of China, Elisabeth Hsu became the disciple of, a Qigong master a scholarly private practitioner, who almost wordlessly conveys esoteric knowledge and techniques; attended seminars given by a senior Chinese doctor, an acupuncturist and masseur, who plunges his followers into the study of arcane medical classics, and studied with students at the Yunnan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the standardised knowledge of official Chinese medicine is inculcated. Dr Hsu compares the theories and practices of these different Chinese medical traditions and shows how the same technical terms may take on different meanings in different contexts. This is a fascinating, insider's account of traditional medical practices, which brings out the way in which the context of instruction shapes knowledge. Table of Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Note on Chinese terms......Page 10 Introduction: ways of learning......Page 12 1 The secret transmission of knowledge and practice......Page 32 2 Qigong and the concept of qi......Page 69 3 The personal transmission of knowledge......Page 99 4 Interpreting a classical Chinese medical text......Page 116 5 The standardised transmission of knowledge......Page 139 6 Teaching from TCM texts......Page 179 Discussion: styles of knowing......Page 236 Appendix: Curriculum for TCM regular students and acumoxa and massage specialists......Page 252 Glossary of medical and philosophical terms......Page 258 References......Page 281 D......Page 298 H......Page 299 Q......Page 300 T......Page 301 Z......Page 302 This is a study of traditional medical education in the People's Republic of China. The author became a disciple of a scholarly private practitioner, a Qigong master; attended courses given by a senior acupuncturist and masseur; and studied with undergraduates at the Yunnan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the standardized knowledge of official Chinese medicine is inculcated. She compares theories and practices of these different Chinese medical traditions, and her fascinating insider's account of traditional medical practices brings out the way in which the context of instruction shapes knowledge. Introduction: Ways Of Learning -- 1. The Secret Transmission Of Knowledge And Practice -- 2. Qigong And The Concept Of Qi -- 3. The Personal Transmission Of Knowledge -- 4. Interpreting A Classical Chinese Medical Text -- 5. The Standardised Transmission Of Knowledge -- 6. Teaching From Tcm Texts -- Discussion: Styles Of Knowing -- App. Curriculum For Tcm Regular Students And Acumoxa And Massage Specialists -- Glossary Of Medical And Philosophical Terms. Elisabeth Hsu. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 270-286) And Indexes. Based on her experience as disciple of a private practitioner, participating in scholarly seminars of a senior Chinese doctor, and studying at a college of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Elisabeth Hsu provides an insider's account of traditional medical education in China, revealing the way in which context of instruction shapes knowledge.