A few days ago, an American friend announced that he was leaving Shanghai due to a chronic stomach problem. In the midst of hugs and good wishes, Chinese friends started to eagerly offer remedies passed down from grandparents or introduce him to qigong masters who could cure all sorts of illnesses.  This got me thinking that the Chinese are firm believers of self-medicating using TCM as our knowledge reserve.

In many ways, TCM with its use of herbal medicines, everyday food items, massage and acupuncture lends itself quite well to ‘do-it-yourself’ style exploration. People frequently turn to ‘pedestrian’ remedies as an alternative source of help to cure or at least ease certain conditions. For example, in the face of a flu breakout, we turn to vinegar by putting a bowl of vinegar in open air in the house. Supposedly, vinegar helps kill virus. This doesn’t mean that people abandon professional treatment. What it means is that people here overwhelmingly supplement Western style treatment with Chinese philosophy and practice that are beneficial in the long haul. I am sure this is similar across societies with long history and civilization where people have developed an efficient system of maintaining health and well being using traditional wisdom.

Getting back to the story of my friend, what also struck me is how people gave medical advice, with full conviction and confidence that it is going to work. I on the other hand refrained myself for fear that my family remedy might do him more harm than good. Maybe I have watched too much American court room drama to think that a friendly piece of advice could turn into a potential law suit.