Chinese medicine, traditional

Chinese medicine, traditional

System of medicine at least 23 centuries old that aims to prevent or heal disease by maintaining or restoring yin-yang balance. Detailed questions are asked about a patient's illness and such things as taste, smell, and dreams, but close examination of the pulse, at different sites and times and with varying pressure, is paramount. Of Chinese medicine's numerous remedies, Western medicine has adopted many, including iron (for anemia) and chaulmoogra oil (for leprosy). Use of certain animal remedies has seriously contributed to the endangered-species status of some animals (including tiger and rhinoceros). Chinese medicine used inoculation for smallpox long before Western medicine. Other practices include hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and acupressure.