Preface

Preface

More than a year ago, I proposed on the website of the Health Department that medical workers in Gansu Province should establish their own Weibo accounts, especially well-known clinical experts, who should even more so create their own Weibo platforms. I believe that through these platforms, communication between doctors and patients, as well as among doctors themselves, can be strengthened. This not only helps patients dispel doubts about their illnesses and develop a correct understanding of their conditions, thus avoiding unnecessary detours and obtaining the right approach to treatment at an early stage, but also allows doctors to share experiences, learn from each other’s strengths, improve their professional skills, invigorate the academic atmosphere within the profession, and play a positive role in advancing the cause of medicine. Mr. Pei Zhengxue is a highly knowledgeable and versatile expert in integrated traditional and western medicine, widely respected both inside and outside the province. He has taken the lead by example, actively participating in the exchange on the Weibo platform. Even at the advanced age of seventy, he continues to practice what he preaches, tirelessly and persistently dedicating himself to this endeavor—a truly admirable quality. Together with his students, they take turns typing away at the computer day after day, from August 2011 to August 2012, answering thousands of questions posed by colleagues and patients from all over the province and beyond. He entrusted his doctoral student, Comrade Lu Weide, along with others, to compile these Weibo Q&A sessions—totaling over 200,000 characters—into a book titled “Famous Chinese Expert in Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Pei Zhengxue’s Health Weibo.” As the book is about to be published, he asked me to write the preface, and I gladly accepted.

I have briefly reviewed the complete manuscript of “Famous Chinese Expert in Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Pei Zhengxue’s Health Weibo.” The book answers questions raised by netizens in a question-and-answer format, covering both theoretical discussions on traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, as well as explorations of the integration of the two systems. Of course, the majority of the content focuses on explaining and treating various clinical diseases. Mr. Pei Zhengxue uses concise and easy-to-understand language to address the confusion many netizens have regarding medical theory and to offer insights into disease prevention and treatment. What I particularly appreciate is his unique perspective on traditional Chinese medicine and his distinctive views on the integration of traditional and western medicine. He says that traditional Chinese medicine is the culmination of the Chinese nation’s long-standing experience in fighting against disease and has played an unparalleled role in the prosperity and continuation of the Chinese people. The classic works of generations of physicians are shining national treasures, and as practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and integrated traditional and western medicine, we must unconditionally inherit and further promote these treasures. Regarding the integration of traditional and western medicine, Mr. Pei proposes the “Sixteen-Character Guideline”: “Western diagnosis, traditional Chinese differentiation; traditional Chinese medicine as the mainstay, Western medicine as a supplement.” Originally, this was a set of sixteen words summarizing the methods of integrating traditional and western medicine, which Minister Chen Minzhang mentioned twenty years ago during a conversation, and since then, the term has become widely used in the field of integrated traditional and western medicine in China. Incorporating Western diagnostic methods into traditional Chinese differentiation undoubtedly enhances the accuracy of such differentiation, thereby improving clinical outcomes.

The book provides detailed answers to tens of thousands of questions from netizens, covering various Western medical conditions such as cancers, autoimmune diseases, leukemia, aplastic anemia, and more, as well as traditional Chinese medical conditions like heart-spleen deficiency, liver wood overcoming earth, wood fire harming metal, and excessive stomach heat. Remarkably, for the same disease, Mr. Pei Zhengxue first explains it from a Western medical perspective and then from a traditional Chinese medical perspective, allowing readers to understand the condition from different angles. Over time, these multiple explanations effectively form a kind of popular mini-dictionary of the integration of traditional and western medicine.

Mr. Pei Zhengxue was born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and was rigorously trained by his father, Mr. Pei Shen, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor in modern Gansu Province, from a young age. He vowed from childhood to dedicate his life to the cause of traditional Chinese medicine. Although he graduated from the Medical Department of Xi’an Medical University, he has always studied the classic texts of traditional Chinese medicine diligently, never putting down his books. Thanks to his solid foundation in traditional Chinese medicine combined with clear Western diagnostic methods, his clinic is always bustling with patients. He has authored some fifteen or sixteen works on traditional Chinese medicine, making him one of the most prolific authors in the domestic field of traditional Chinese medicine. The content of “Famous Chinese Expert in Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Pei Zhengxue’s Health Weibo” fully demonstrates his profound medical knowledge, as he offers insightful perspectives on internal medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, and other specialties, proving that he is a true general practitioner. Nowadays, hospital departments are too specialized, and many middle-aged and elderly patients suffer from multiple ailments simultaneously. When such patients move from one department to another, often no single department can solve all their problems, sometimes even delaying treatment and causing irreparable harm to the patient. Therefore, the state encourages the training of general practitioners, and professionals like Mr. Pei Zhengxue are exactly the kind of general practitioners we advocate. This is my preface.

August 2012, Health Department

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