1. Preface to "Practical Internal Medicine of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine"

1. Preface to "Practical Internal Medicine of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine"

"Practical Internal Medicine of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine" is about to be published—it is a representative large-scale monograph on integrated Chinese and Western medicine in China today. The book spans 1.5 million characters, and in addition to the usual chapters on internal medicine, it also includes sections on acute abdominal conditions and tumors—areas where integrated Chinese and Western medicine offers distinct advantages. The guiding principle behind the book’s compilation was the "Sixteen-Character Principle" proposed by Professor Pei Zhengxue, the book’s editor-in-chief: "Western diagnosis, Chinese dialectical treatment, traditional Chinese medicine as the mainstay, Western medicine as a supplement." These sixteen characters may seem simple, but they carry profound meaning. If we can apply this principle to clinical practice, we can undoubtedly establish a framework for combining disease and syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine, opening up a practical path for Chinese medicine to move toward modernization. To clarify the "Sixteen-Character Principle," Professor Pei Zhengxue wrote numerous papers that were published in newspapers and journals, and he was invited to lecture in Guiyang, Dalian, and various regions of Shaanxi and Gansu, sharing this perspective. The responses from local audiences were very positive, and the principles were regarded as one of the current clinical models for integrated Chinese and Western medicine in internal medicine. The compilation of "Practical Internal Medicine of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine" was guided by these ideas: after explaining the Western diagnosis for each disease, the book focused on discussing the Chinese medical approach to disease treatment based on dialectical reasoning. In the discussions, the book endeavored to incorporate recent findings from scholars both domestically and internationally in the field of integrated Chinese and Western medicine, striving to establish standardized guidelines for integrated Chinese and Western treatment of specific diseases. At the end of each chapter, the book included summaries of recent developments in Chinese medical treatment for these diseases across the country over the past decade. Thus, this book is a clinically oriented monograph with a well-designed structure, bringing together many major achievements in modern integrated Chinese and Western medicine—ideal for high- and mid-level medical professionals to read and reference, and also suitable as a resource for junior medical workers seeking further education and improvement.

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The book was jointly authored by renowned integrated Chinese and Western medicine experts from the five northwestern provinces of China. Professor Pei Zhengxue, the chief editor, is a well-known domestic expert in integrated Chinese and Western medicine, currently serving as a director of the Chinese Society of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, an editorial board member of the Chinese Journal of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Gansu Provincial Branch, and Vice President and Director of the Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine at the Gansu Provincial Academy of Medical Sciences. Professors Liu Baohou, Qiao Fuchu, An Zhen Guang, and Liu Guoan, who serve as associate editors, are all renowned domestic experts in internal medicine. Professor Liu Baohou is a member of the Nephrology Committee of the Chinese Society of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine and a vice chairman of the Internal Medicine Nephrology Committee of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Professor Qiao Fuchu serves as a vice chairman of the National Committee on Heat-Related Diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine; Professor An Zhen Guang is a member of the National Committee on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for Respiratory Diseases; and Professor Liu Guoan is a member of the National Committee on Deficiency Syndromes and Geriatric Diseases. Among the editorial board members, Professors Huang Huizhao, Xu Zicheng, Liu Maofu, Zhang Yi, Zhao Kun, Xia Yongchao, Huoshu Hua, and others are all renowned domestic experts who enjoy great prestige in the medical community of the northwest. The participation of these experts in the compilation and writing of this book gives us reason to believe that it will possess significant practical value.

Chen Keji, October 1993, Beijing