Product Description

This concise reference book on Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a comprehensive introduction to the concept of TCM, its basic principles, therapy and medication. More than 5000 well structured entries are arranged in alphabetical order and cover a wide spectrum. From symptoms and diseases to acupuncture points, to herbal and other drugs used in chinese medicine the reader can get information on relevant issues. Also included are four-colour images of the most important herbs and medicinal plants that are mentioned in the reference book. This is an indispensible guide not only for medical practitioners interested in TCM but also for pharmacists and interested laypersons.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90031 in eBooks
• Published on: 2003-07-29
• Format: Kindle Book
• Number of items: 1

Review
From the reviews:

"This concise reference book provides a comprehensive introduction to the basics of Chinese medicine, its concepts, its basic principles, therapy and medication. a ] it will be an indispensable guide for medical practitioners and pharmacists wanting to increase their knowledge of the field. It would also be a useful addition for reference in a medical library." (Lindsey Baker, Reference Reviews, Vol. 17 (8), 2003)

"This concise reference book on Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a comprehensive introduction to the concept of TCM a ] . More than 5000 well structured entries are arranged in alphabetical order and cover a wide spectrum. a ] This is an indispensable guide not only for medical practitioners interested in TCM but also for pharmacists and interested laypersons." (Johan Nguyen, Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Vol. 2 (3), 2003)

Customer Reviews

actually 3.5 but not a 4
This book is, in fact, exactly what its title suggest, an alphabetized encyclopedic type entry of terms and common phrases used throughout Traditional Chinese Medicine. That said, it is neither exhaustive enough, nor properly organized to make it appropriate for any clinician wishing to reference it (such as an MD wishing to read a TCM clinical chart.) Better would have been volumes divided into sections of, TCM theory, diagnosies, treatment methods, and classical terminology.

Furthermore, it is a bit too early for a book like this because there is currently a big academic argument over the usage of English terminology, and you will find no less then 3 major directions in terminology use amongst leading text books of Chinese Medicine in english. Until the field decides on a more standard American English vocabulary, such an oversimplified book will cause confusion and potentially be obsoleted.

Because of the above concerns, I still strongly encourage anyone interested in studying or referencing TCM to use the same sources used by the students of the medicine. For instance, with two of the major foundations sources (these cover basic theory and rudimentary diagnostic technique) you will have indexes that cover all of the major relevant terminology that is not simply a transliteration. If you wish for Chinese herbal names, than Bensky's material medica is the best choice. If you wish to have a good reference for diagnostic, Giovanni's volumes on diagnosis are probably the most accessible to non specialist, although it is arguably misleading without a few others to compare them to. If you wish to have good reference for classical text, you should find versions that are translated for clinicians (verses those translations made for scholars or philosophers) as the choices of translation for a medicine specific focus are often different and, most importantly, much more literal and concise.

Dictionary of Traditional Medicine
This book's title does not match its contents. I was disappointed of the contents. I thought it is a dictionary where I could look for different Chinese herbal meaning and espcially the "pin yin" what actually means in English or even got pictures to make it comprehend for readers. I hope someone could introduce me a Chinese Medicine booklet which explains what the "pin yin" is, and with pictures to show what it is good for or healing for.