The American Journal of Chinese Medicine

This paper examines the health care policy and program of the Chinese Communists in their earliest stages of development. An assessment of 1) political policy, 2) public health campaigns, 3) medical services, 4) public health education, and 5) medical education, indicates that the role of the health delivery scheme was primarily to mobilize mass support for the government, and to change popular health behavior, thereby improving the health of the people and lessening demand on scarce medical facilities. An analysis of the Border Region's health program from 1936 to 1949 gives us an insight into the strategy of a revolutionary government to win popular support and to effect social change.

Crop production depends on three factors: heat, water and soil (earth). These became cosmic elements and are mentioned in the Chandgoya Upanishad of about 800 B.C. It reflects plant life. Later came a cosmology with five elements: Akasha (Ether, Creative Energy), Wind, Heat, Water and Earth (Food). It mirrors human life and can be dated 700 B.C. Lokayata philosophers, as materialists, discarded Aksha as non-tangible, reducing the cosmology to four elements. Its impact on Indian medicine reduced human physiology to three factors: (Breathing) Wind, (Body) Heat, and (Body Fluid) Water, whence arose the three humours: Vata (Wind), Pitta (Heat) and Kapha (Water). The humours were individually known before but Panini compiled them as the Tridosha doctrine about 500 B.C. The Chinese cosmological system has five elements which are comparable with those of Indian cosmology. Indian: Akasha, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth; Chinese: Metal, Wood, Fire, Water, Earth. Now metal = Akasha and Wood = Wind. Thus, both the Indian and Chinese cosmologies mirror human life. Like the Lokayata philosophy the Chinese approach is materialistic. Akasha (or Ether) and Wind are entities which cannot be handled, whereas Metal and Wood both are solid substances. Thus a materialistic version of Indian cosmology would give the Chinese elements. If we consider the Indian cosmic elements independently they begin with Akasha and end with Earth, so that we have Heaven/Earth with 3 elements in between. Such a series would fully justify a system of cosmology. But the Chinese elements are explained in a system of divination. For this the elements must constitute pairs of opposites, thereby representing Heaven/Earth. Here Metal/Wood = Compass/Carpenter's Square = Heaven/Earth. Metal/Water is another pair of opposites with Metal as the heaviest when related to Water, then Water/Wood, with Wood as the lightest, floating on Water. Assigning such properties we get a chain of opposites: Wood/Fire, Fire/Earth (ore), Earth/Metal, Metal/Water and Water/Wood. Something similar is not seen in the Indian arrangement as resulting from the impact of divination upon cosmology.

The effects of acupuncture stimulation on the Ta-Chuei (Go-14), Nei-Kuan (EH-6) and Tsu-San-Li (St-36) loci on thermoregulatory function were assessed in normal adults. Stimulation of acupuncture locus Ta-Chuei produced hypothermia. The hypothermia was brought about by a decrease in metabolic rate, an increase in cutaneous circulation (the back region) and perspiration. On the other hand, acupuncture stimulation of either the Nei-Kuan or Tsu-San-Li loci produced a sligh hyperthermia. The hyperthermia was due to a decrease in cutaneous circulation. The data indicate that each acupuncture locus may have its own function with special reference to body temperature regulation.

An investigation was conducted to delineate the fine structure of steroid-producing ovarian theca interna cells following administration of Korean Panax ginseng to rats for 60 days. The cytoplasmic changes were observed in the ginseng-treated theca interna cells, increased number, size and density of the mitochondria, and increased size of the smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, the rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. The nucleus and nucleolus were slightly enlarged and increased numbers of dense bodies were seen whereas lipid droplets were decreased in number. The changes may result from hyperfunction of the steroid-producing cells. Morphologic changes seen may represent stimulating effects on the steroid-producing cells of the theca interna in ginseng-treated animals.

Ten (10) dogs were maintained under 0.75% halothane anesthesia while 11 cardiovascular parameters were studied before and following intravenous administration of an extract prepared from deer antlers. The eleven variables including cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure, central venous pressure, total peripheral resistance, pH, PaCO₂, PaO₂ and base line deficit were studied. Stroke volume was consistently elevated during the period of observation and significantly elevated at two time intervals. Other values were not altered significantly. Extract from deer antlers does not appear to have a great acute effect on the cardiovascular system of this animal model.

Chinese medicine was used in the treatment of a patient with pemphigus vulgaris in combination with corticosteroid (bethamethasone). Results indicate that the use of Chinese medicine in combination with corticosteroid is a highly effective treatment method for pemphigus erythematosus.

The effects of therapeutic acupuncture on gastric acid secretion on pain relief in chronic duodenal ulcer patients were studied. Ten adult Nigerian patients with clinical, endoscopic as well as radiological evidence of duodenal ulcer constituted the "Ulcer Group". Four other patients who gave history of dyspepsia formed the "Dyspeptic Group". Pentagastrin stimulation test was performed on all subjects pre- and post-acupuncture therapy. The classical Chinese acupuncture loci were employed. The mean Basal Acid Output (BAO) in the duodenal ulcer group was markedly reduced from 4.04 ±1.01 mMols/hour to 1.05±2.5mMols/hour. The mean Maximal Acid Output (MAO) was lowered from 34.72±13.81 mMols/hour to 15.34±4.01 mMols/hour. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). It is more probable, therefore, that the relief of pain is attributable to the therapeutic inhibition of gastric hyperacidity in our patients. Thus, though pain relief has been previously demonstrated in response to acupuncture, the results of this investigation have gone further to show that acupuncture achieves symptomatic relief through therapeutic gastric depression in duodenal ulcer patients.

The effect of acupuncture on adrenocortical hormone production in adult female albino rabbits of New Zealand strain was investigated. There was significant increase compared to the control cortisol and corticosterone following application of acupuncture at the locus Tsu-San-Li. In the non-locus group, such treatment resulted in only a transient raise followed by a significant fall in cortisol and corticosterone. Acupuncture treatment with electric current for 1 hour proved to be unique in that it gave rise to no biphasic change in the ^I4C uptake of the steroids. These results indicate that adrenal production of corticosterone and cortisol was enhanced by acupuncture and electroacupuncture at the Tsu-San-Li locus.

Twenty patients with low back pain were selected for treatment with acupuncture. Four standard acupuncture loci and a standard regime were used. The results were analyzed after a follow-up of 12 months. Initially, 16 patients responded favorably to the treatment while 4 did not respond at all. The degree of cure was not uniform. Instead they varied from complete cure in 4 to varying degrees of alleviation of pain in the rest. Recurrence of acute exacerbation of symptoms occurred in 13 of the 20 patients. Acupuncture was given to 11 of these patients and the results of treatment similated the initial course of acupuncture.

A simple low cost stimulator for electroacupuncture is described. The stimulator can be used with needle electrodes or with surface electrodes.