1. Collected Medical Experiences of Pei Zhengxue

1. Collected Medical Experiences of Pei Zhengxue

I have known Professor Zhengxue for nearly 40 years. Born into a family of renowned medical practitioners, he graduated from Xi’an Medical University in 1961 and went on to study traditional Chinese medicine under his family’s teachings, mastering its principles with diligence and deep thought. For decades, he devoted himself to research in traditional Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese and Western medicine, producing numerous scholarly works and achieving remarkable results.

A few years ago, I attended an academic conference in Lanzhou. At that time, Professor Zhengxue had already been recognized as an advanced worker in integrated Chinese and Western medicine nationwide and shared exciting news with me: he was currently editing a monumental work on integrated Chinese and Western medicine—“Practical Internal Medicine of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine.” The book was subsequently published and received the “International Gold Award for Outstanding Contribution” at the “World Third Conference on Traditional Medicine” held in the United States in April 1996. Over the years, while leading various institutions such as the Gansu Provincial Academy of Medical Sciences, the Gansu Provincial Society of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, and the Gansu Provincial College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Professor Pei made outstanding contributions to research, clinical practice, and education in traditional Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese and Western medicine. He is a renowned figure in China’s integrated Chinese and Western medicine field, whose achievements are inseparable from his relentless dedication and hard work.

Not long ago, Professor Pei showed me the manuscript for his latest work, “Collected Medical Experiences of Pei Zhengxue.” After reviewing it, I was deeply moved. The book clearly reflects the author’s many years of accumulated academic experience, showcasing Professor Pei’s distinctive clinical medical spirit. The upper section of the book focuses on “Academic Thought,” where the author offers unique insights into integrated Chinese and Western medicine and the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine, particularly delving into the essence and models of integrated Chinese and Western medicine in the field of internal medicine, offering readers profound inspiration. Furthermore, the book explores concepts such as organ physiology, diagnostic approaches based on organ systems, diagnostic strategies for heat-related diseases, the medicinal system of traditional Chinese medicine in internal medicine, as well as therapeutic methods like tonifying vital energy, promoting blood circulation, strengthening the spleen and nourishing the kidneys, and regulating the intestines—all grounded in integrated Chinese and Western medicine principles and enriched with practical clinical wisdom. The middle section, “Clinical Practice,” summarizes the author’s clinical experience, presenting concise yet insightful and creative content that reflects Professor Pei’s efforts to build upon the academic traditions of predecessors while also expanding and enriching them. For instance, in treating hepatitis B, ascites due to liver cirrhosis, diabetes, leukemia, chronic pancreatitis, chronic nephritis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, hair loss, esophageal cancer, and other common and complex diseases, Professor Pei emphasized the integration of Chinese and Western medicine, highlighting the importance of combining macroscopic and microscopic perspectives in diagnostic thinking, and clearly articulating the strengths and expertise of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment. His work provides invaluable experience and effective prescriptions for integrated Chinese and Western medicine, especially in the field of internal medicine. The lower section, “Reports from Disciples,” includes 33 papers written by Pei’s disciples, primarily introducing Professor Pei’s clinical experience. Papers such as “Observations on the Efficacy of ‘Lanzhou Formula’ in Combining with Chemotherapy for Cancer Cases” and “Preliminary Exploration of Chief Physician Pei Zhengxue’s Clinical Experience in Treating Ascites Due to Liver Cirrhosis” showcase his diagnostic approach, which advocates combining differential diagnosis with disease-specific treatment, emphasizing the integration of Chinese and Western medicine in treatment protocols and leveraging each other’s strengths, offering readers much to learn and reference.

Upon reading the entire book, one finds that “Collected Medical Experiences of Pei Zhengxue” truly lives up to its name—it captures the essence of an influential integrated Chinese and Western medicine school in western China, rich in learning and experience that “advance what predecessors did not advance, supplement what predecessors did not prepare,” while also offering many examples of mutual discovery and broad application. Recalling the early medical masters of the Qing Dynasty, Xu Lingpan, who once urged his students to “progress year after year” (as described in “Shen Ji Du Yan”), Professor Pei has consistently pursued medical practice with a relentless pursuit of results. The publication of this book aligns with the current era’s emphasis on carrying forward past achievements while moving forward with the times, and I am honored to offer these reflections as a preface.

Yu Yingao November 2002