Taiwanese doctor Peter Karl Mayer (馬培德) has published an English-language book on traditional Chinese medicine, titled Ancient Channels in Chinese Medicine (中醫古典經絡), to promote the field overseas.
Mayer, who hails from Germany and obtained Taiwanese citizenship six years ago, said he has long been interested in acupuncture.
He came to Taiwan to learn about acupuncture, eventually receiving a degree in traditional Chinese medicine and a license to practice as a traditional medicine doctor at the China Medical University in Taiwan.
Photo courtesy of China Medical University
More doctors are integrating the ancient art of acupuncture into standard therapies, and it is generating renewed interest among academics, with more people conducting research into the mechanics and efficacy of it, Mayer said yesterday.
There are still many unknowns about the ancient practice, such as how the so-called meridians are connected to the intestines and limbs, and they can only be discovered by closely understanding the terminology used in classic traditional Chinese medicine texts, he said.
The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor (黃帝內經) has long been considered one of the foundational texts for traditional Chinese medicine, and it is key for acupuncture theory and practice, he said.
However, the accurate translation of the meridian systems narrated in such classical texts is rare, and this comprises a significant obstacle for traditional Chinese medicine practitioners whose mother tongue is not Mandarin Chinese, he said.
Many modern traditional Chinese medicinal texts are based on contemporary understanding of the meridian system, seldom reflecting on the historical changes in terminology over the centuries, he added.
Mayer said he compiled a text incorporating his clinical experience, knowledge of the subject matter and unique perspective as a foreign Chinese medicine practitioner to discuss the perspectives of the ancient times and the modern era, and how they are connected.
The book provides a precise English translation of the meridians’ descriptions, he said.
Mayer said that by placing classical descriptions and modern understandings side by side, he hopes to enable readers to follow more clearly how modern-day terminology has evolved over the years and to gain a more in-depth understanding of the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
RSS