Wisdom of the Ancient Orient
The structure of the Canadian health care system is an ever-changing institution which tries desperately to match the care they provide with the values they hold true. Health care providers have begun to take a holistic approach to care, trying to ensure an individuals health, not only physical, but emotional, psychological and interpersonal. The technology, quality and availability of care are at its highest levels ever, yet people are still unsatisfied with the current system. If the problem isn't with the availability and quality of health care, then where does it lie? Medical practitioners have applied their holistic philosophy in all areas of health care, except the actual treatments themselves. They are treating a disease or illness as something which must be treated and cured, rather than something which one must strive to prevent. The act of treating a disease or an illness, in traditional Chinese medical practice, is like digging a trench long after the battle has begun. Oriental medical practices are founded on the philosophy of yin and yang which emphasises the importance of universal balance and harmony. Their method of treatment is a truly holistic one in that the idea of heal
It was under the Han dynasty that the classical doctrine of Chinese medicine was formed, primarily based on the works of Chang Chung Ching (born c.158-166) and Hua To (born c.136-141). He was the first to associate certain symptoms with an appropriate treatment. His major accomplishment is the authorship of the Shang Han Yun, a text held in the same esteem as the Nei Ching. The text describes the stages of a developing disease and measures to take in the treatment of these stages. His text is still widely used today by modern herbalists. In diagnosing a patient, an herbalist recognizes, based on physical appearance and the history of the complaint, how much yin or yang a body has, and decides, based on ancient Chinese practice, what herbal mixtures will balance the levels. In the case of chronic diseases, where a person is actually suffering symptoms of a disease, an herbalist uses a classification system for diagnosing the disease based on symptoms. The three classifications given to disease are as follows; water diseases, blood diseases, and chi diseases. 9. Nothing is neuter. Either yin or yang is always in excess. Individuals in the Canadian health care system speak of taking a more holistic approach to health care, yet the basis of the care itself is of such a specific nature, that is treating the disease rather than the person, that the idea of incorporating holistic views seems contradictory. Almost every aspect of Chinese culture as we know it today has come to being through thousands of years of growth from a single foundation, which is the yin yang philosophy. The basic principals of the yin yang philosophy are that in order for the universe to function properly, there must be a harmonic balance of yin and yang within. Chinese medicine uses this premise as the basis for all its practices. It emphasises a continual regulation of internal energies through use of specific nutrient intake as prescribed by a knowledgeable diagnostician. Canadian individuals do not have a single history or cultural background to build a health care system upon. In fact, unlike the Chinese, health care is a relatively singular aspect of our culture and only when Canadians realize that health care is not a service to be provided to them when they get sick, but is an individual, ongoing process, to be kept in mind at every meal of every day. They must realize also that is not the sole responsibility of the Canadian health care system to change itself inside out while the public do nothing. What people want is better health care, but if there were less people getting sick, the level of care would rise anyway. So, what people should be striving for is healthier living, and they should look the ancient Chinese for their example. 12. All physical forms are yin at the center and yang at the surface." (Hyatt p.33) thy living is deeply embedded into every aspect of their culture through this philosophy and through the long medical history of the Chinese people. Oriental medicine prescribes a continuous intake of the proper nutrients through herbal use to regulate the bodies internal yin and yang, creating a harmonic balance of mind, body and soul. The third emperor, Huang Ti, reigned from the year 2697 b.c. until 2595 b.c. Among other things, such as the invention of the chariot, currency and cloth clothing, Huang Ti is credited for authorship of the Huang Ti Ne Ching, translated, the Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine, the most important and earliest work in Chinese medicine. It indicated that the Chinese of the time recognized the circulatory system as the bodies means of nutrient distribution.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Ching According, Nei Ching, Ancient Orient, Individuals Canadian, China Manchus, Buddhism Zen, Hua To's, Su Wen, Kang Mu, Sui Tang, yin yang, health care, chinese medicine, nei ching, chinese culture, ancient chinese, health care system, han dynasty, shen nung, care system, huang ti, canadian health care, yin yang philosophy, aspect chinese culture, ancient chinese practice,
Approximate Word count = 2616
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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