Theory & Analysis
Examining the principles, efficacy and cases of Chinese medicine through theory and evidence — neither mythologising nor dismissing.
Yin-Yang and Five Phases
Yin and yang capture relationships of opposition and unity; the five phases describe generation and restraint among organ systems. The framework offers systems thinking, not anatomical description.
Zang-Fu and Meridians
Zang-fu organs are functional systems; meridians describe pathways of qi and blood. Modern research probes their biological correlates with imaging and electrophysiology.
Qi, Blood and Fluids
Qi, blood and body fluids summarise the body's basic substances and metabolism — comparable in spirit to fluid regulation and energy metabolism in physiology.
Syndrome Differentiation
Same disease, different treatments; different diseases, same treatment — adjusting therapy by syndrome pattern was an early practice of personalised medicine.
Discovery of Artemisinin
Inspired by Ge Hong's 'one handful of qinghao' note, Tu Youyou's team switched to low-temperature extraction and isolated artemisinin in 1972; the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine followed.
Acupuncture Analgesia
From the 1960s, Han Jisheng and colleagues systematically studied electroacupuncture analgesia, linking it to endogenous opioid peptides and showing partial reversal by naloxone — neurochemical evidence for acupuncture.
Arsenic for Leukaemia
From the 1970s, Harbin physicians used arsenic trioxide for acute promyelocytic leukaemia; Chen Zhu, Wang Zhenyi and others later elucidated the mechanism, and arsenic-based combination therapy became part of the international standard of care.
Network Pharmacology
Analysing multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway networks has become a common paradigm for studying herbal formula combinations.
'Three Medicines, Three Formulas'
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jinhua Qinggan Granules, Lianhua Qingwen Capsules, Xuebijing Injection and Qingfei Paidu Decoction were included in China's national treatment protocols, with clinical studies published.
WHO Attention
WHO issued the Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023, ICD-11 included a traditional-medicine chapter (2019), and the first WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit convened in India in 2023.
International Standards
ISO/TC 249 has published more than one hundred international standards covering herbs, acupuncture needles, devices and terminology.
Evidence and Prudence
Evidence grades remain limited for some therapies and findings differ. High-quality randomised trials alongside real-world studies are advocated; claims of efficacy stay measured.