[Investigating the 'unifying of disease names in traditional Chinese medicine' in the period of the Republic of China].

Abstract

A project to unify the terminology of diseases in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nationwide was initiated by the Central National Medical Bureau in 1933, with the project named 'the Case of TCM Disease Name Unification'. This paper investigated the process and the content of the project, referenced the specific opinions of the renowned physicians who experienced the project, analysed the perspectives of the project that sparked social controversy, such as the development principles of Chinese medicine, the social situation at that time, the principles of integrated medicine and the scientific modernisation of Chinese medicine, and summarised the opposing opinions and underling factors. The three findings were as follows: the fundamental differences between traditional Chinese and Western medical systems, the power limitations of the Central National Medical Bureau, and the immature understanding of combining Chinese and Western medicine. It was also found that unifying the terminology of diseases in traditional Chinese medicine was an important trial in terms of and the scientific modernisation of Chinese medicine. However, its practical approach to 'control Chinese medicine with Western medicine' drove anxiety in people about the independence of Chinese medicine. This case provides TCM standardization, terminology normalization, and the practice of integrating Chinese and Western medicine with an historical reference.