Essentials of Chinese Medicine: Volume 2

TheEssentials of Chinese Medicineisa textbookintendedforinternationalstudents who wish to gain a basic understandingof Chinese Medicine (CM) at the university level. The idea of writing such a text was originated from the Sino-American C- sortiumfor the Advancementof Chinese Medicine (SACACM), whichwas founded in February 2000. In 1995, the British Hong Kong Administration set up a Prepa- tory Committee for the Development of Chinese Medicine to look into ways of bringing Chinese medical practice and herbal trade under proper control and r- ulation. After the reuni?cation of Hong Kong with mainland China in 1997, the Governmentof the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region continued the efforts to uplift the practice of CM to a fully professional level through legislation. To help bring up a new generation of professional CM practitioners, the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) obtained approvalfrom the Government'suniv- sity funding authority to develop a School of Chinese Medicine to prepare students who will meet the future professional requirements through public examinations.

The modern medical model is gradually shifting from one of biomedicine to one that integrates practices from the physiological, psychological, sociological and medical fields. This growing recognition that people, the environment, ecological conditions and society are all aspects of a united whole has given rise to an emergence of alternative medicine and therapies, many of which are borrowed from traditional Chinese medicine.

Volume Two presents the therapeutic methods of Chinese Medicine, including the basic methods and theories of acupuncture and moxibustion. 84 Chinese herbal formulas and 6 associated formulas commonly used in clinical practice are explained and illustrated, providing the reader with a thorough introduction to the use of herbs in Chinese Medicine.