Introduction:
The beliefs, the practices, and the attitude towards health and wellbeing
Chinese people have unique beliefs about the causes of diseases and illnesses
Traditional Chinese society: specific health practices
Chinese people: emotional reaction towards diseases
Chinese beliefs, attitude, and practices concerning health and wellbeing
Body paragraph #1: First Main Idea
The concept of yin and yang: an explanation of the pathophysiology and etiology of disease and illnesses
Consumption of specific foods as another cause of diseases and illnesses
The concept of yin and yang: the foundation of most diagnosis and treatment practices in the Chinese society.
The concept of yin and yang as an explanation of disease pathophysiology and etiology
How certain body parts are classified into yin and yang and forces
Body paragraph #2: Second Main Idea
Health-related practices in the modern Chinese society
The use of various health-related interventions in the traditional Chinese society
The use of herbs and acupuncture as some of the interventions for disease and illnesses
Diagnosis: An integral part of disease treatment process
Symptoms: a guide to the disease diagnosis process
The use of several methods for diagnosing diseases in the traditional Chinese society
Body paragraph #3: First Main Idea
Chinese’s attitude towards good health
Chinese attitude towards diseases and illnesses
Chinese’s view on the effectiveness of their methods used in treating disease
Emotional response to disease in the Chinese society
What failure for a given intervention to cure a disease mean to the Chinese
D. Conclusion:
The concept of yin and yang, disease interventions, and attitude towards diseases
yin and yang: the foundation of treatments of various diseases
The use of herbs and acupuncture: Common methods for treating diseases in the traditional Chinese society
Disease is undesirable
The concept of yin and yang, the treatment practices for disease, and attitude towards disease: defining Chinese culture concerning health
Interview Transcript
Me: Hey dad, how was your day?
Father: It has been a fantastic day son. How was school?
Me: School was fine, dad. We learned a lot today. We even did a test.
Father: That’s great. I hope you will do well in the test. Right?
Me: Yes dad. I will. We were given an assignment and I need your help to do it.
Father: Sure. What is it about and how can I help with it?
Me: Well, the assignment requires that each student should interview somebody with deep insight and experience into their cultural background. The teacher said that we could even interview our relatives. Since you are very familiar with the Chinese culture, our culture, I thought you could help.
Father: Sure. When would you like us to do it, son?
Me: Well, anytime you are free, as long as we can do it before tomorrow. I need to complete it by tomorrow.
Father: Alright. We could even do it now. Do you have everything you need for the interview ready?
Me: No. Please give me a minute to prepare. Thank you.
Father: Sure. Take your time.
Me: I am ready now, dad. Could we start?
Father: Sure.
Me: Well, in general, I would like us to talk about health in the traditional Chinese society. Maybe, we could begin by discussing the Chinese beliefs about health. Could you tell me some of the beliefs the traditional Chines people had about health?
Father: Well, the traditional Chinese people had many beliefs about health. Indeed, some of these beliefs have been proven to be scientifically plausible.
Me: Wow! That sounds interesting.
Father: Furthermore, many health-related discoveries made over the years have their basis on the Chines beliefs. In general, the traditional Chinese people believe that for one to stay healthy and free from diseases, there must be a state of balance between two groups of opposing forces related to the body. The two groups are referred to as yin and yang. In other words, factors that cause diseases are classified into yin and yang. The yin components must balance the yang components otherwise, one would become sick.
Me: That’s interesting. What are some of the yin and yang forces of the body?
Father: Just to give an example, while the head represents yin the body represents yang.
Me: Alright. Thanks for the insight, dad. I would like us also to talk about how diseases were treated in the traditional Chinese society. What methods were used?
Father: Well, the traditional Chinese employed many methods to treat diseases. Indeed, some of the methods are still used today in many parts of the world. For example, acupuncture is currently recognized as a method of treating diseases in the United States.
Me: That’s great dad.
Father: Other methods include the use of herbs and specific foods.
Me: Thanks for that information, dad. Was each method employed for a specific disease?
Father: Well, some methods were used in treating different diseases. However, others were only meant for specific conditions. Health specialists had their ways of diagnosing the disease before conducting any treatment. In this case, methods such as observation, pulse taking and palpation, olfaction and auscultation, and interrogation were used.
Me: Wow! They must have been real specialists.
Father: Yes, they were. They were dedicated to their work. While using observation method for diagnosis, the doctor would examine the patient’s outward appearance to tell the patient’s condition. This method relies on the concept that condition of the internal organ influences the conditions of the external parts of the body. On the other hand, the use of olfaction and auscultation involved collecting data through the hearing of the sound and smelling of odor. Pulse was taken by feeling the pulse condition of the patient at the radial artery. Through the determination of the pulse condition, doctors can tell the condition of the inner organs.
Me: Wow! They must have been geniuses.
Father: Yes, they were. A disease was viewed as being very undesirable. Indeed, if you fall sick, people would sympathize with you very much. Therefore, many efforts would be made to cure any disease whenever it occurs.
Me: I see. They had the same attitude towards disease as we do nowadays. What about their feelings about the treatment methods?
Father: Well, the traditional Chinese had confidence in the approaches that were used to treat various diseases. However, they knew that they were not perfect. Everybody had confidence in the methods used but knew that sometimes, they could not help cure a disease.
Me: Alright dad. Thank you so much for the insight. I have learned a lot from you. With this information, I will complete my assignment perfectly. That is all for today. Thank you so much, dad.
Father: You are welcome son. You can now complete your assignment.
