Institutionalization Of Traditional Chinese Medicine In Modern China(1919-1937)

With the collapse of the feudal society and the prosperity of scientism,the space for the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)has been compressed quickly in modern China.Based on the Chinese traditional philosophy,TCM is completely different from Western medicine in methods of research,education system,medical health,and academic communication,etc.In its effort to seek opportunities in development and to resist the influence form western medicine,TCM has begun to absorb western thoughts and learn from western system both consciously and unconsciously,and explored the institutionalization in TCM,hoping to be accepted by the modern medicine.As an important part of the sociology of science,the institutionalization of science is a process to form the scientific system,being the organizational conditions and the guarantee of scientific development.From the perspective of sociology of science,the symbols of medical institutionalization are government-orientated public health and medical system such as hospitals and medical schools,with typical features of being a product of both medicine and politics.As the political system of modern world was originated from the West,TCM was naturally excluded from the institution.Since governments of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic China did not take the initiative to start the process of the TCM institutionalization,there were great differences between TCM institutionalization,born in the folk,and that of western medicine in level,scope and effect.Contrary to the health policy of the Republic China,the local government of modern Shanxi adopted policies to support TCM,thus the TCM institutionalization was able to be started by learning from Western science and medicine system,with the TCM Improvement Society established,an affiliated Chinese Medicine hospital set up,the school of TCM founded,and the the Medicine Journal and several TCM books published.Based on the development and activities of TCM Improvement Society of modern Shanxi,this paper probes into the role of TCM institutionalization to the development of TCM,by analyzing the history of TCM,the relationship between TCM and the society,and the conflict and integration of TCM with the western medicine,hoping to provide auseful reference for the government in the orientation of TCM,the responsibility of government,and the division of market in management.This paper consists of three parts: introduction,text(total of seven chapters)and conclusions.The introduction part mainly discusses the purpose and significance of the research,such as research status,research ideas,research methods,innovations and limitations,and the concepts.The first chapter introduces the background of the institutionalization of TCM,which was inspired by the Western learning and modern thoughts spread to China.Greatly influenced,TCM reform was started actively by Shanxi government,and the TCM institutionalization was originated in modern Shanxi firstly.The second chapter is about the establishment and development of the TCM Improvement Society in Shanxi,which was the first official TCM society in modern China.YAN Xi-Shan,the chief executive of Shanxi Province,had played a leading role in the foundation,development and operation of the Society.Medical research had been carried out smoothly with abundant funds,favorable policies and systematic standards in management system,scientific methods and academic awards,etc.to ensure the rapid development of the Society.In the middle stage of the Society,with great change of the political and social situations,the Society was reorganized,and many adjustments were made in the aspects of personnel,organization and purpose.The third chapter is about TCM education.The government of Shanxi attached great importance to the medical education in modern Shanxi.There had been a series of medical education institutions,stepped by "Shanxi Medical Museum","Shanxi Medical Seminar" and "Shanxi Medical School" with its name changed continuously.Actually,the development of TCM education is a process of TCM institutionalization in its effort to seek in school system,curriculum and education orientation.And finally,in its learning from and negotiation with Western medicine,TCM integrated into the modern education system.The fourth chapter is about the clinical practice and epidemic prevention.The TCM Improvement Society had set up an affiliated hospital of TCM as the internship base.With Western medicine introduced,wards set up,and the management system improved,TCMhad taken activity in the epidemic prevention practice,with the epidemic situation report and analysis system established in Shanxi.However,since Western medicine has the advantage in definite infectious disease etiology and reasonable evidences of transmission,modern governments were sure to base the national health and epidemic prevention system on Western medicine.Gradually,the TCM has been withdrawn from the health and epidemic prevention system.The fifth chapter is about the participation of the TCM Improvement Society in social activities,such as the debate on TCM abolishing,the discrimination and injustice policy of the government.The TCM Improvement Society of Shanxi has been actively involved in recognizing the equal legal status of TCM with western medicine,and finally brought about the TCM institutionalization.The coexistence of both of TCM and Western medicine in medical and health system has taken shape gradually.The sixth chapter is about the academic achievements of the Society.The mechanism of medical communication is one of the important signs of medical institutionalization.The the Medicine Journal issued by the Society has become a platform of academic communication.With many changes in the idea of TCM,the Society has collected folk prescriptions of TCM,published a series books with many valuable undisclosed prescriptions and more periodicals and books,thus promoting the extensive exchange in the TCM circles.The seventh chapter summarizes the contribution and enlightenment in the TCM institutionalization of Shanxi.Since the TCM has always been regarded as an important part of the social development with the local administrative support,institutionalization of TCM in modern Shanxi was actually that of representative about institutionalization of TCM in modern China.The practice of Shanxi shows that TCM institutionalization can guarantee the sustainable development of TCM,and the integration of holism and reductionism is the foundation of the institutionalization in the future.The conclusions include three parts,the summary,limitations and the implications of this paper.Looking through the history of TCM in China,the prosperity of TCM has all been attributed to the promotion from the institutionalization.Ideas of improving the TCM,such as "Combination of TCM and Western medicine","Modernization of TCM","Internationalization of TCM" have been proposed one by one even after the establishment of the People's Republic of China,which also shows that the paradigms of TCM and Western medicine are incommensurable,and many problems remain in the institutionalization of TCM.There is still a long way to go for the development of TCM.As the cultural and historical heritage of China with five thousand years,in the Internet era and another scientific revolution,TCM has to be re-examined in its law of development and institutionalization of TCM has to be improved.