In the August 2004 issue of Acupuncture Today (available on-line www.AcupunctureToday.com) there was an interview with Dr. Paul Unschuld in which he defined TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, as "an artificial system of health care ideas and practices generated between 1950 and 1973 by committees in the People's Republic of China, with the aim of restructuring the vast and heterogenous heritage of Chinese traditional medicine in such a way that it fitted the principles--Marxist Maoist type democracy and modern science and technology on which the future of the PRC was to be built."
In addition: "It is therefore that I distinguish between TCM and 'CTM', the latter referring to the entirety of healthcare knowledge, beliefs and practices prior to the twentieth century.".
Moreover, ". . . much claimed . . . a Daoist underpinning for TCM. This is incorrect for two reasons. First . . . TCM is a product of Communist China. Second, even if we were to apply the term TCM to pre-revolutionary Chinese medicine, the Daoist impact should be considered minimal."
There is more to article which I found to be very interesting.
And to Heather--many thanks for mentioning me but no unpublished book as yet! Just some articles and two new articles that are not out yet.
Best wishes,
Wendy Williams