Category:CD

Kampo is not TCM

Why are we sensitive to either Japanese or Chinese? Western medicine is based on chemical structures, and each structure is (or was) patented. In this sense, their origin is clear. On the other hand, traditional (especially herbal) medicine is one major intellectual-property issue related to biological diversity. It is therefore important to clarify origins and install an appropriate international standard.
For example, let us consider the invention of general anesthetic. Hanaoka Seishu (Japan) succeeded in breast cancer surgery (with clear records) under general anesthesia with Kampo medicine in 1804 (see Wikipedia).
Historically, however, Hua Tuo in ancient China (ca. AD 145-220?) was believed to have invented general anesthesic Ma fei san and performed abdominal section. The credibility of this episode in the 3rd-century Sanguozhi (三國志 "Records of Three Kingdoms") and 5th-century Hou Hanshu (後漢書 "Book of the Later Han") is detailed in a Wikipedia article of Hua Tuo.

Summary (more detail)

• Kampo Medicine
  Mixed recipes of crude drugs in Japanese distinct style, originally based on classic literature such as "Shokanron" and "Kinkiyoryaku" from ancient China.
• TCM: Traditional Chinese Medicine
  Mixed recipes of crude drugs in China. It is more flexible depending on patients' conditions and uses hundreds of raw materials from plants as well as animal origins.
• Folk Medicine
  Usually single crude drugs used by tradition or hunch.