Complementary and Alternative Medicine, When Rigorous, can be Science

in Taipei, the National Palace Museum organized an enormously pertinent exhibit in Gallery 313 derived largely from the museum’s collection of ancient medical texts that includes classics on numerous topics. It is entitled Life is Worth More than Gold: A Special Exhibition of Ancient Medicinal Classics. In the English translation of the Chinese description clues are embedded that pertain to the origins of both Western medicine and the history of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as briefly described: “Disease has always been a great topic of concern in human society. From prayers and spells to the birth of medicine as a rational science, man has been able to develop all sorts of medical treatments to combat against different illnesses and ailments, because, as the Chinese proverb has it, ‘life is worth more than a thousand gold pieces. ’ Towards the en