TRADITIONAL CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE

Herbal medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, and massage and the thre e major constituent parts of traditional Chinese medicine. Although ac upuncture is well known in many Western countries, Chinese herbal medi cine, the mos important part of traditional Chinese medicine, is less well known in the West. This article give a brief introduction to the written history, theory, and teaching of Chinese herbal medicine in Ch ina. It also describes modern scientific research into the quality con trol of Chinese herbal medicines in China. some examples of how new dr ugs derived from Chinese herbs have been developed on the basis of tra ditional therapeutic experience are presented. Finally, the situation of Chinese herbal medicine in the West is discussed.