What are the appropriate procedures to name a medicine?  

This article will concentrate on the term of "Oriental Medicine" mainly.  However, the discussions and conclusions apply to the term of "Asian Medicine, Eastern Medicine, etc." too, which has been used in some places for the term "Oriental Medicine".

In fact, since the beginning, the term “Oriental/Asian/Eastern Medicine” had not been rigorously and professionally defined.  It is a descriptive and inclusive term rather than a definition of a professional medicine. 

Due to this reason, it has contributed much confusion among the public and professionals:

As a result, the term “Oriental Medicine” has seriously distracted, diluted, split, and divided the integrity of Chinese Medicine, has lowered the leading status of Chinese Medicine, has damaged the image of Chinese Medicine, has weakened the profession of Chinese Medicine, and has jeopardized the healthy development of Chinese Medicine in America and around the world. 

Following we will analyze this situation from several considerations.  Based on these considerations, we conclude that the inconsistent use of the term “Oriental Medicine” inside and outside the profession of Chinese Medicine is non-professional, inappropriate, and harmful to the Chinese Medicine community.  To protect the integrity of Chinese Medicine and to ensure a healthy development of Chinese Medicine in America, the inappropriate term “Oriental Medicine” should be discontinued.

2.  Considerations Outside the Profession of Chinese Medicine

For people outside the profession of Chinese Medicine, the word “Oriental Medicine” intends to cover and include all Asian medicines into one term.  However, in emphasizing the geographic consideration, the term “Oriental Medicine” has met many difficulties and has caused many problems as follows.  These problems have seriously affected the development of Chinese Medicine, and should be addressed and corrected properly.

2.1  Extension

In logics, every concept has an extension and a connotation.  Let’s first look at the extension.

For layperson, the extension of the term Oriental Medicine is too broad.  It tries to include all medicines in oriental countries.

However, how many countries’ medicines (components) should be included?  What are they?  Should we include the medicines of the thousands of Asian islands?  What are the differences of these medicines?  Are they all qualified to be as professional medicines?

2.2 Connotation

The connotation of the term Oriental Medicine is vague and unclear.  What is the central theme of Oriental Medicine?  Does it have an independent, systematic, consistent theoretical system?  What is the unified theory of this compilation of different medicines from Oriental countries? 

2.3 Qualification As Professional Medicines

If a field is to be qualified as an independent professional medicine, the field should have established, comprehensive, independent, consistent, and complete principles and theories that are of significant differences from other professional medicines.

Chinese Medicine has equipped with all the requirements needed to be qualified as an independent professional medicine.

However, Oriental Medicine does not equip with these qualifications.  Many medicines in Asian countries were originated, derived, branched, developed from, or influenced by Chinese Medicine.  They don’t have established, comprehensive, independent, consistent, and complete principles and theories by themselves.  Most medicines in other Asian countries are based on the principles and theories of Chinese Medicine.  They do not have distinct principles and theories by themselves.  Therefore, they cannot be distinguished as and cannot be qualified as independent professional medicines.

As a result, the term “Oriental Medicine” does not meet the requirements for the definition of an independent professional medicine.

2.4 Evaluation

For medical insurance coverage purpose, all the Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) will be evaluated based on the criteria of professional medicines.  Because CAM is a descriptive and inclusive term containing many medicines rather than a definitive term for an independent professional medicine, the CAM evaluation process should be and will be proceeded on a case by case basis.

As the most time-tested medicine in the world, Chinese Medicine has no difficulty in passing all the criteria for being an independent professional medicine.

However, because the Oriental Medicine is a compilation of many Asian medicines, if one of the component medicines is not qualified as an independent professional medicine, the whole Oriental Medicine will be affected and will not be qualified as an independent professional medicine.

2.5 Reputation

Chinese Medicine enjoys a very well established reputation and is well known in more than 100 countries around the world.

However, Oriental Medicine is less established and is less known around the world.  It is mainly used in America. 

2.6 History

Chinese Medicine has a history of over hundreds and thousands or even million years.  It is mature professional medicine.

However, the Oriental Medicine has only 20 years history.  It is too young to be considered as an independent medicine.

2.7 Theory

Chinese Medicine has a unified, rigorous, and complete theoretical system that contains many established, comprehensive, independent, consistent, and complete principles and theories.

While the Oriental Medicine lack a unified, rigorous, and complete theoretical system.

2.8 Terminology

Oriental Medicine, similar to the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), is a descriptive and inclusive term rather than a definitive term for an independent professional medicine.

Descriptive terms are appropriate for layman to understand a specialized, professional field.  However, for the definition of a highly specialized professional medicine, it is inappropriate to replace definition term (Chinese Medicine) with descriptive term (Oriental Medicine).

2.9 Geographic vs. Professional Considerations

One reason for using the term of Oriental Medicine is from the geographic consideration trying to include all medicines in other Asian countries.

In fact, geographic consideration should not influence professional medicine.  Today, Chinese Medicine has already become a world medicine, and has been practiced in Asia, Europe, America, Africa, Australia, etc. over 100 countries around the world.

The term “Chinese” in Chinese Medicine has already lost its original geographic or ethnic meaning.  It has become an abstract concept specifically referring to the Chinese Medicinal System developed from the fundamental characteristics of Chinese Medicine (Concept of holism and Bian Zheng Lun Zhi) as well as the basic principles and theories of Chinese Medicine (Yin Yang theory, Five Elements Theory, Channel and Collateral Theory, Zang Xiang Theory etc.).  Now, the term “Chinese Medicine” does not merely refer to the Chinese Medicine practiced inside China.  It actually includes all Chinese Medicine practiced in those hundred countries.  Therefore, there is no need to concern that the term “Chinese Medicine” will exclude the Chinese Medicine in other countries.

3. Considerations Within the Profession of Chinese Medicine

 3.1 OM is equivalent to CM

 Some practitioners of Chinese Medicine regard the term “Oriental Medicine” to be equivalent to the term “Chinese Medicine”.  They say the OM is actually just CM within the practitioners of Chinese Medicine in America.  OM is only another expression for CM.

This equivalency of OM to CM will remove all the OM's weaknesses mentioned in Section 2 above. 

However, is this “OM is equivalent to CM” viewpoint valid or needed?  How do other people perceive the OM?  Does the public also perceive the OM exactly the same as the CM? 

Most people follow English dictionary's definitions.  They do not perceive the OM to be the same as the CM because the definition of "Oriental" and the definition of "Chinese" are different in the dictionary.  From the appearance, OM is more likely to lead people to Asian Medicine rather than CM.  This will cause confusion and misleading unless one re-defines the "Oriental" in OM and restrict it to be the same as "Chinese" in this setting.

However, re-defining "Oriental" to be the same as "Chinese" in the OM setting will cause the following problems:

(1) It is inconsistent with the English dictionary's definition on "Oriental" and "Chinese".  Unless in very special situations, we should stand by the English dictionary's meaning, and should not change the English dictionary;

(2) It will cause confusion and can easily mislead the public to Asian Medicine;

(3) It is not professional if other reasons were involved in using OM;

(4) It is redundant if it is the same as CM;

By the way, the reverse of "OM is CM" is "CM is OM".  This will lead to the conclusion that "Chinese" is "Oriental".  This will expand the extension and weight of the word "Chinese", and is inappropriate either. 

The original motives to use OM for CM is unclear.  However, no matter what the motives were, any non-professional definition should be avoided in an independent professional medicine.

In fact, CM has already become a world medicine long time ago.  CM in China and CM in Europe, Africa, America, Australia, etc. as well as the CM in other Asian countries belong to the same family.  The word "Chinese" in CM has already lost the regional, geographic, or ethnic meanings.  It does not restrict to the CM inside China alone.  It actually covers all Chinese Medicine practiced around the globe.

From the viewpoint of the profession of Chinese Medicine, the process of changing name from CM to OM (which is re-defined to be equivalent to CM) is detrimental to the profession of Chinese Medicine.  The name change process is equal to the process of changing the established name IBM to another name which is not only unknown, but also either vague and unclear, or confusing and misleading.  No matter how the IBM re-define the new name to be the same as the previous IBM, the process of changing IBM's name is completely non-professional, imprudent, unnecessary, inappropriate, and wrong.  It is no doubt that changing IBM's name will be detrimental to IBM.  Similarly, changing CM's name will be detrimental to CM.

From the redundant, confusing, and misleading consideration, it is inappropriate to use OM.  The use of OM for CM should and will be discontinued.  

It is understandable that many practitioners in America got degrees in OM.  However, to avoid long-term pain to our profession and career, we need to take short-term pain to correct these inappropriate situations.  Of course, the process of changing OM back to CM should take into consideration of all practitioners, and should not affect current practitioner’s situation.

In sum, if the OM is defined to be the same as the CM, the OM is redundant, confusing, and misleading.  Most people (includiing the patients, public, Western MDs, and government agencies, etc.) will perceive OM to be Asian Medicine rather than CM.  This confusing and misleading situation is very harmful to our profession and career -- CM.  

3.2 Offspring vs. Ancestor

Advocate for Oriental Medicine claim that although most medicines in Asian countries came from Chinese Medicine, they have developed further and have acquired some contents different from the original Chinese Medicine they developed from.

No offspring is exactly the same as its ancestor.  In the course of evolution, all offsprings have added new traits and have undergone new developments from their ancestors.  However, none of the offspring claim to change its name simply because it has made some development.  If this were to be true, horse would not be called horse anymore, monkey would not be called monkey anymore, and human would not be called human anymore since all of their offsprings have undergone some changes from their ancestors.

In medicine, the situation is similar.  If any new development in medicine wants to claim itself to be a new medicine, it should have a set of distinct, independent, and systematic theory and principles which are completely different from the original medicine.  Otherwise, it is only the evolution and continuation of the original medicine, and should not change its name.

For example, Western Medicine has undergone many developments from its origin in many countries.  Do all those countries demand to change the Western Medicine’s name in order to include their own countries into the new name?  If yes, Western Medicine would be called “Chinese Medicine” inside China, and would have hundreds and thousands of different names in all different nations.

However, because all the new developments of Western Medicine are built upon the same basic theory and fundamental principles of allopathic medicine, they are just continuation and development of the previous Western Medicine.  Therefore, all the new developments in Western Medicine are included under the same umbrella of Western Medicine.

This is true to Chinese Medicine too.  In fact, there were hundreds and thousands of developments, variations, and branches of Chinese Medicine inside China.  Some of these developments and variations are more significant than the developments and variations of Chinese Medicine developed in other Asian countries.  However, no matter how significant those variations were, because they all developed based upon the same basic theory and fundamental principles of Chinese Medicine, they were just continuation of the previous Chinese Medicine.  Therefore, all of the development, variations, and branches in China are included under the umbrella of Chinese Medicine.

Above conclusion is applicable to the developments of Chinese Medicine in other Asian countries.  If those countries developments are still based upon the same basic theory and fundamental principles of the original Chinese Medicine where those countries’ medicine had come from, those countries medicines are still Chinese Medicine, and should be included under the umbrella of Chinese Medicine.  The change of name simply because of some developments is inappropriate, non-professional, and contradictory to the generally accepted rules and practice in evolution.

3.3  Herbs vs. Medicine

Some doctors and practitioners of Chinese Medicine hold a viewpoint that because herbs from other oriental nations are introduced into and used in CM during the course of the development of CM, OM should be used in order to reflect this situation.

This viewpoint, however, is inconsistent with the definition of an independent professional medicine.

The use of other nations herbs in CM is not a reason to change the name CM to OM.  The definition of an independent professional medicine is based on the framework of the medicine’s theory, principles, diagnostic techniques, and treatment methods, etc.  It is not related to how many herbs are used and where these herbs came from.

This is true for both CM and Western Medicine.  For example, each year there are many new pharmaceutical drugs are developed around the world.  Many of the drugs were developed from countries outside the Western nations.  But we cannot change the Western Medicine’s name based on the facts that there are drugs developed in non-Western countries.  Because the drugs developed in non-Western countries are applied following the theory and principles of Western Medicine, they still belong to Western Medicine no matter where these drugs came from.

Currently, some drugs are developed from Chinese herbs.  Because those drugs are applied following Western Medicine’s theory and principles, we cannot claim them Chinese Medicine and they belong to Western Medicine.

Similarly, along the long history of Chinese Medicine, there are new herbs added to CM each generation.  Many of the herbs originated from nations outside China.  However, because these herbs were applied and used clinically under the direction of CM, they became a part of CM.

For thousands and thousands years, CM has never been changed to another country’s name simply based on the fact that there were some herbs came from that country.  This rule of an independent professional medicine applies not only to Western Medicine, but also to CM.  It applies not only to the situation thousands years ago, but also to the situation today. 

4.     Historical Background of the Origin of “Oriental Medicine”

From above discussions, we can see that the term “Oriental Medicine” is inappropriate, nonprofessional, confusing, and misleading.  There is no single reason, both scientifically, medicinally, and professionally, that can justify using the term “Oriental Medicine” to replace the well-established, professional term “Chinese Medicine”.

Then the question is:  how could such a term “Oriental Medicine” being coined and used in America referring to the well-established and highly specialized professional medicine for twenty years?

The answer to this question should be traced back to the era when the term “Oriental Medicine” was originated.

The term “Oriental Medicine” was coined around the late 70s after the acupuncture heat following president Nixon’s visit to China in early 70s.  

70s is a historic era for China.  After dozen years of “Cultural Revolution” and numerous internal political movements, 70s witnessed the wakening up process of a sleeping lion.  Although today, thirty years later, people know Napoleon was right this time, the political environments and situations were quite different back in the 70s.

Due to the Cultural Revolution, all Colleges of Chinese Medicine training Doctor of Chinese Medicine (CMD) in China were closed together with other universities and colleges until 1977.  Since some CMD programs take 5 years, some take 6 years, also taking into account of the delayed graduation for the first class of post-Cultural Revolution graduates, the earliest graduates of CMD in China after the Cultural Revolution were around 1983.  In addition, due to the cold war and historic reasons, cultural exchange between China and the US were non-existent before 70s.  Therefore, almost no Doctors of Chinese Medicine from China came to the United States when the term “Oriental Medicine” was coined.

Because South Korea and Japan were American allies after World War II, many practitioners of Chinese Medicine from these countries came to America much earlier than Doctors of Chinese Medicine from China.  The Chinese Medicine practitioners from South Korea and Japan had already established Chinese Medicine practice and teaching basis by late 70s in America.  As a result, many proponents for the term “Oriental Medicine” in the late 70s were Chinese Medicine practitioners from South Korea and Japan.

In order to understand why the Chinese Medicine practitioners from South Korea and Japan wanted to call Chinese Medicine as “Oriental Medicine” back in late 70s, we should review the historic events happened before that time.  The major historic events that created the political environments in late 70s, which generated the term “Oriental Medicine” were as follows.