Traditional Chinese Waiting

The local daily newspaper, the West Australian featured "Summer Colds" in its Tuesday Mind and Body section recently, written by Wade James of the Chinawest Clinic, Fremantle. EoR is not sure of his qualifications, since he doesn't append any of those self-created acronyms and association memberships that the alternatistas are usually so fond of. Nonetheless, he advises to

Observe carefully the clinical features of a summer cold in Perth and you will see that it typically starts with a sore throat. Then either a cough with phlegm that becomes sticky and yellow or blocked sinuses. In TCM, we say that this is a type of warm pathogen attack (Wen Bing) and a great deal has been written about these conditions during the past 500 years. The reason Chinese doctors were so interested in warm pathogens was the prevalence of epidemic diseases that swept across China. Many famous Chinese herbal prescriptions were developed to counter these epidemic febrile (feverish) diseases. Today the theories and prescriptions used then are being used to develop strategies for SARS and bird flu. [...] In the Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing), written more than 2000 years ago, there is a statement about colds in the winter reappearing in the summer. Today people with recurring sore throats are often suffering from this type of hidden or lurking warm pathogen. Because the body is constantly fighting off these pathogens, it is not long before tiredness and lethargy become part of the problem.

EoR is pleased to know that Chinese Medicine has made no progress for the last 2000 years, and seems to have been fully formed, de novo, like Venus. It's the equivalent of Western doctors ignoring all advances in medicine and relying solely on the works of Hippocrates for their craft.

Suggested "remedies" for lurking warm pathogens include dried chysanthemum flowers, Chinese mint, rice soup with mung beans, and pear juice. If these don't work, then

For dry coughs that will not resolve and summer colds that have become complicated with digestive problems, then a professionally written Chinese herbal prescription can target your specific problems.

EoR is sure that such a prescription, along with time and the placebo effect, will prove to all the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Waiting for illness to resolve. Sorry, Traditional Chinese Medicine.