Hot & Cold: The Art of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Talks with Man-Li Lin 熱與寒: 與郭曼麗談中國傳統草藥之美
by Erin H. Moriarty 作者
Walking along Flushing’s Main
Street, one can’t help but notice the seemingly endless amount of traditional
Chinese medicine stores. The movement of Chinese immigrants into Queens has
resulted in the arrival of many businesses catering to the cultural traditions
of Asian customers. Approximately, 120,000 individuals of Chinese descent live
in Queens, 70,000 of which reside in Flushing. According to Claudia Deutsch of
The New York Times, “Flushing has turned into a bustling Asian enclave that
rivals its much older Manhattan counterpart, if not in size, then certainly in
ethnic intensity (Mannheim 1998:12).” The flourishing practice of traditional
Chinese medicine in the borough is one such example of this ethnic intensity.
According to the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine (NCCAOM), approximately 41 acupuncturists and/or Chinese herbologist
are registered in Flushing (NCCAOM 2001). This number does not even begin to
take into account the large number of practitioners operating in the area
without a license.
走在法拉盛的主街上，不禁會注意到看似無窮無盡的中藥店。隨著中國移民湧入皇后區，許多迎合亞洲客戶文化傳統的企業紛紛湧入。大約有 120,000 名華裔居住在皇后區，其中 70,000 人居住在法拉盛。根據《紐約時報》的克勞迪婭·多伊奇 (Claudia Deutsch) 的說法，“法拉盛已經變成了一個熙熙攘攘的亞洲飛揚地，可以與更古老的曼哈頓對手相媲美，如果不是在規模上，那麼肯定是在種族密集度上（Mannheim 1998:12）。”該行政區中醫藥的蓬勃發展就是這種民族強度的一個例子。根據國家針灸和東方醫學認證委員會 (NCCAOM)，大約有 41 名針灸師和/或中草藥師在法拉盛註冊 (NCCAOM 2001)。這個數字甚至還沒有考慮到在該地區無執照經營的大量從業者。
Traditional Chinese medicine
is among the oldest medical traditions, rivaled only by India’s tradition of
Ayurvedic medicine (Chin & Keng 1992:7). In recorded history, traditional
Chinese medicine dates back 2,500 years. Most likely, it predates this period
(American Society of Acupuncturists 1996). Today, Chinese medicine continues to
be practiced in China. It is also practiced outside of China where ethnic
Chinese are represented in the population. Countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Europe, and the
Americas have all seen the importation of Chinese medicine from the mainland. A
nationally adapted form of this health care system is practiced to a certain
degree in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam (Chin & Keng 1992:10).
中醫是最古老的醫學傳統之一，僅次於印度的阿育吠陀醫學傳統 (Chin &
Keng 1992:7)。在有記載的歷史上，中醫可以追溯到2500年前。最有可能的是，它早於這個時期（美國針灸師協會 1996）。今天，中醫繼續在中國實踐。它也在中國以外的地方實行，那裡的人口中有華人。台灣、香港、新加坡、馬來西亞、菲律賓、泰國、印度尼西亞、歐洲、美洲等國家都出現了從大陸進口中藥的情況。日本、韓國和越南在一定程度上採用了這種醫療保健系統的全國性形式（Chin & Keng
1992:10）。
The multicultural nature of
Chinese medicine is amplified in an ethnically diverse community such as
Queens. Although the Chinese community remains the main group served by
traditional medicine stores, these stores also serve other Asian communities
living in the borough. Throughout the borough there exists pockets of
Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai, and Korean communities. All of these cultures have,
to some degree, a similar set of traditional illness principles as their
Chinese counterparts.
中醫藥的多元文化特性在皇后區等種族多元化的社區得到了放大。雖然華人社區仍然是傳統藥店服務的主要群體，但這些商店也為居住在該行政區的其他亞裔社區提供服務。皇后區有一些越南人、菲律賓人、泰國人和韓國人社區。所有這些文化在某種程度上都與中國文化有著相似的傳統疾病原則。
My introduction to traditional
Chinese medicine began in Queens when I met Man-Li Lin during the summer of
2000. As an active member in the Flushing community, Man-Li works for the
Department of Labor, devotes nights and weekends to teaching English and Chinese
within the community, writes language instruction manuals for English and
Chinese speakers, and works with the Flushing Jewish Community Council on
improving multicultural relations. It was Man-Li who led me through a maze of
Cantonese and Mandarin dialects, Chinese characters, and unfamiliar roots,
barks, and berries, revealing to me along the way the complexities of
traditional Chinese medicine.
2000 年夏天，我在皇后區認識了郭曼麗。曼麗是法拉盛社區的活躍成員，在勞工部工作，利用晚上和周末的時間教授英語和漢語在社區內，為講英語和中文的人編寫語言指導手冊，並與法拉盛猶太社區委員會合作改善多元文化關係。是曼麗帶領我穿越了粵語和普通話方言、漢字以及陌生的根、樹皮和漿果的迷宮，一路向我揭示了中醫的複雜性。
Man-Li has seen the number of
herbal stores in downtown Flushing rise in the past few years. Shun An Tong
Herbal Health Corporation, where I visited with Man-Li, is among the older and
more established herbal shops located on Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing. The
owner, a Chinese herbologist and acupuncturist, offers in-house traditional
examinations. Many of the newer stores do not provide such services.
在過去的幾年裡，曼麗看到法拉盛市中心的草藥店數量不斷增加。我和曼麗 一起參觀的順安堂草藥保健公司是位於法拉盛羅斯福大道的老牌草藥店之一。業主是一名中國草藥學家和針灸師，提供傳統[診查服務。許多較新的商店不提供此類服務。
Patients to Shun An Tong are brought into a small room
off the main store to be diagnosed. Diagnosis
often involves the reading of a patients “pulse”. As it was explained to me by
Man-Li, the doctor is not actually reading the patient’s pulse, as it is
understood in Western culture. In Chinese traditional medicine, reading the
“pulse” involves the reading of one’s organs rather than the contractions of
one’s heart. This “pulse” is read from both wrists. A Chinese medical
practitioner may also question the patient about their illness (i.e. appetite
and pain), observe the patient’s skin color, texture, redness of nose, and body
odor. Specifically, smell often provides information regarding the condition of
a patient’s organs such as the stomach, lungs, liver, kidney, bladder, and
colon (Chin & Keng 1992:12). The doctor-patient interaction I witnessed at
Shun An Tong was extremely brief, only lasting a few minutes.
順安堂的病人被帶到主店內的一個小房間裡接受診斷。診斷通常涉及讀取患者的“脈搏”。正如曼麗向我解釋的那樣，醫生實際上並不是在讀病人的脈搏，這在西方文化中是這樣理解的。中醫看“脈”，不是看心臟的收縮，而是看臟腑。這個“脈搏”是從兩個手腕上讀取的。中醫也可能會詢問病人的病情（即食慾和疼痛），觀察病人的皮膚顏色、質地、鼻子發紅和體味。具體而言，氣味通常提供有關患者器官狀況的信息，例如胃、肺、肝、腎、膀胱和結腸 (Chin &
Keng 1992:12)。我在順安堂看到的醫患互動非常短暫，只有幾分鐘。
Photo 2: 圖片二Barrels of Ginseng, Shun An
Tong Health Herbal Corp., 2000. © Erin H. Moriarty
Chinese disease and illness
perceptions are embedded within the belief “that two basic and opposing
principles, yin and yang, govern the Universe and all phenomena result from
their Continuous interplay (Chin & Keng 1992:12).” Yin is represented by
femininity, darkness, cold, and water. In contrast, Yang is represented by
masculinity, sun, heat, and fire. Individuals may either be yin dominant or
yang dominant and therefore must make an effort to balance their yin and yang
with the foods they eat and drink. When both yin and yang are in balance a
healthy state pervades the body. A disruption of this yin/yang equilibrium will
result in illness (Hsu 1993:xiii).
中國人對疾病和疾病的看法植根於“陰陽這兩個基本且對立的原則統治著宇宙，所有現像都源於它們不斷相互作用的結果（Chin & Keng
1992:12）”的信念。陰代表女性、黑暗、寒冷和水。相比之下，陽以陽剛之氣、太陽、熱和火來代表。個人可能是陰占主導，也可能是陽占主導，因此必須努力通過飲食來平衡陰陽。當陰陽平衡時，健康的狀態就會遍及全身。如有陰/陽平衡的破壞將導致疾病（Hsu 1993：xiii）。
Medicinal herbs are used as
the main method of treatment within Chinese medicine and they are employed to
bring the body back into a state of balance (Hsu 1993:xiv, American Society of
Acupuncturists 1996). Herbs have hot or cold characteristics that are used to
manipulate the yin/yang equilibrium. Cooling herbs have sour, bitter and salty
tastes, while heating herbs have pungent and sweet tastes. These
characteristics affect different parts of the body. Pungent and sweet herbs
tend to affect the upper and exterior parts of the body, while cold herbs
affect the lower and interior part of the body (Ody 1993:16). Man-Li provided
me with an example of this hot/cold duality, one day, while we were standing
among barrels of ginseng at Shun An Tong. American ginseng (Panax
quinquefolium), under the yin/yang principle, is cold and warm , while Korean
ginseng (Panax ginseng) is hot. American ginseng would be used to treat a
person who has excessive heat in the body. Therefore, individuals with pimples,
which represent excessive heat, should be treated with American ginseng that is
cooling. Korean ginseng would not be taken in this example, because it would
work to further disrupt the imbalance between hot and cold in the body.
藥材是中醫的主要治療方法，用於使身體恢復平衡狀態（Hsu 1993:xiv,
American Society of Acupuncturists 1996）。草藥具有用於操縱陰/陽平衡的熱或冷特性。涼藥有酸、苦、鹹味，熱藥有辛辣味和甜味。這些特徵影響身體的不同部位。辛辣和甜味的藥草往往會影響身體的上部和外部，而冷寒的藥草則會影響身體的下部和內部 (Ody 1993:16)。有一天，當我們站在順安堂的人參桶前時，曼麗為我提供了這種冷熱二元性的例子。西洋參（Panax quinquefolium），根據陰陽原理，性寒溫熱，而高麗人參（Panax ginseng）性熱。西洋參可用於治療體內過熱的人。因此，有丘疹的人，代表過熱，應該用具有冷卻作用的西洋參治療。在這個例子中不會採用高麗參，因為它會進一步破壞體內冷熱不平衡。
Photo 3 圖三
Drawers filled with herbs fr
prescriptions, Shun An Tong Health Herbal Corp., 2000. © Erin H. Moriarty
Photo 4 圖四
Herbal prescription being
filled and packaged, Shun An Tong Health herbal Corp., 2000. © Erin H. Moriarty
Generally, prescriptions are
made up of a complex combination of herbs. Although the majority of such herbs
are of vegetable origin (including leaves, flowers, twigs, stems, roots,
tubers, rhizomes, and bark), they may also be of animal or mineral origin
(American Society of Acupuncturists 1996). There are more than 100 different
prescriptions -containing three to ten herbs- in general use among Chinese
medical practitioners. For example, a combination of ginger, jujube, and
licorice is typically used in formulas intended for the promotion of the
digestive system (Hsu 1993:xii). Although the quantities and number of
ingredients in each prescription may vary among practitioners, as they are
changed according to the patient’s physical health, sex, and weight, the main
ingredients remains fixed (Chin & Keng 1992:12).
通常，處方由複雜的草藥組合組成。儘管大多數此類草本植物來源（包括葉、花、枝條、莖、根、塊莖、根莖和樹皮），但它們也可能來自動物或礦物（美國針灸師協會 1996）。有100多種不同的方劑 - 包含三到十種草藥在中醫中普遍使用。例如，生薑、大棗和甘草的組合通常用於促進消化系統的配方中 (Hsu 1993:xii)。儘管每個處方中的成分數量和數量可能因從業者而異，因為它們會根據患者的身體健康狀況、性別和體重而變化，但主要成分保持不變（Chin & Keng
1992:12）。
At Shun An Tong, employees
will work together to fill the complex prescription provided by the doctor
after a diagnosis. Each of the herbs listed on the prescription are removed
from the dozens of drawers behind the counter, weighed, and divided among
plates spread out on the counter. Each plate represents one dose of the
medicine. Prescriptions are usually composed of a main ingredient and many
additional ingredients that serve to flavor, preserve, and color the
prescription (Chin & Keng 1992:12). The employees work quickly weighing and
dividing, by eye, the many roots, barks, berries, and funguses that are
included in the prescription. As Man-Li Lin reminded me, the filling of a
prescription is not an exact science.
在順安堂，員工們會在確診後齊心協力填寫醫生開出的複雜處方。處方上列出的每種草藥都從櫃檯後面的幾十個抽屜裡取出，秤重，然後分成攤開在櫃檯上的盤子。每個盤子代表一劑藥物。處方通常由一種主要成分和許多用於調味、保存和著色處方的其他成分組成 (Chin &
Keng 1992:12)。員工們迅速地秤重並按目視劃分處方中包含的許多根、樹皮、漿果和真菌。正如曼麗提醒我的那樣，配藥不是一門精確的科學。
More often than not, the
finished prescription is to be taken as a medicinal tea or “soup” and drank for
a period of days by the patient. Herbal medicines are often taken in this
manner, as a decoction. Wee Yeow Chin and Hsuan Keng explains the process by
which a decoction is made:
通常情況下，完成的處方是作為藥茶或“湯”，由患者飲用數天。草藥通常以這種方式服用，作為湯劑。 Wee Yeow Chin 和 Hsuan Keng 解釋了製作湯劑的過程：
…the herbal mixture needs to
be boiled over a low fire in an enamel or earthenware container in twice the
required amount of water. Once the volume of the mixture has been reduced by
half, the decoction is poured off and drunk when sufficiently cooled. The
remaining herbal mixture in the container can be reused once (1992:12).
This boiling of the herbal
prescription allows for the active drug to be dissolved into the water. In
addition, boiling decreases the toxicity of certain herbal medicines by
deactivating any toxic substances that may cause adverse side effects (Chin
& Keng 1992:12).
…草藥混合物需要在瓷或陶器容器中用小火煮沸，水量是所需量的兩倍。一旦混合物的體積減半，將湯汁倒掉，待充分冷卻後飲用。容器中剩餘的草藥混合物可以重複使用一次 (1992:12)。
這種草藥處方的沸騰使活性藥物溶解在水中。此外，煮沸可通過使任何可能引起不良副作用的有毒物質失活來降低某些草藥的毒性（Chin & Keng 1992:12）。
Liquid herbal medicines, given
as decoctions or “soups”, remain the most common method of administering
Chinese medicine for several reasons. This particular method gives the
practitioner flexibility when writing a prescription. That is, a prescription
can be adapted to the varying needs of each individual patient. Furthermore,
liquid formulas tend to be the most potent method of prescribing medicine
(American Society of Acupuncturists 1996).
由於多種原因，液體草藥，以湯劑或“湯”的形式給藥，仍然是最常用的中藥給藥方法。這種特殊的方法使醫生在開處方時具有靈活性。也就是說，處方可以適應每個患者的不同需求。此外，液體配方往往是最有效的處方藥方法（美國針灸師協會 1996）。
For those patients who do not
have the time or knowledge to prepare herbal decoctions at home, several
alternatives are available. Traditionally, herbal decoctions are prepared in an
earthenware crock (Ody 1993:17). Shun An Tong offers a modern appliance that
prepares herbal decoctions with the press of a button. Other alternatives
include the many prepackaged herbal tinctures, pill, and powders now widely
available. Such alternatives appeal to those who cannot stomach the intensely
bitter taste of the liquid decoction.
The herbs sold in traditional
Chinese medicine stores often serve a dual purpose, both as medicine and food
item. Patients often cook with the herbs available in these stores. Man-Li
often cooks pork or chicken with the herbs she buys in these stores and eats the cooked dish like a soup.
對於那些沒有時間或知識在家準備草藥湯的患者，有幾種替代方法可供選擇。傳統上，草藥湯劑是在陶罐中製備的（Ody 1993:17）。順安堂提供了一種現代設備，只需按一下按鈕即可製備草藥湯劑。其他替代品包括現在廣泛使用的許多預先包裝的草藥酊劑、藥丸和粉末。這些替代品對那些不能忍受液體煎劑強烈苦味的人很有吸引力。
中藥店出售的草藥通常具有雙重用途，既可作為藥品，也可作為食品。患者經常使用這些商店提供的草藥做飯。 曼麗經常用她在這些商店買的藥材燉煮豬肉或雞肉，當作湯喝。
Photo 5 圖片五Lilly Bulbs: smoked and
non-smoked, Shun An Tong Health Herbal Corp., 2000. © Erin H. Moriarty
The many varieties of
mushrooms available are a popular grocery item. Lilies are bought to cook with
green beans and eaten as a dessert. Lotus seeds are cooked during the summer to
make a cooling dessert as well. Pailly W.L. Su, Chairman of the Shun An Tong
Group explains further in his book entitled Oriental Herbal Cook Book For Good
Health:
種類繁多的蘑菇是一種受歡迎的雜貨。百合被買來和綠豆一起煮，然後作為甜點吃。蓮子在夏天被煮熟，也可以做成清涼的甜點。佩利 W.L.順安堂集團董事長蘇先生在其著作《東方本草養生書》中進一步解釋道：
Cooking and herbal medicine
are two valuable heritages in Chinese tradition. The combination of the two is
what we call the ‘herbal diet’. Vegetables are not key elements in a herbal
diet. Contrarily, we use herbs, and high protein meats like chicken, pork, and
beef…Every Chinese person knows the ingredients for the most common herbal
diet: stewed chicken soup with some ginseng, [lyceum] fruit, and red dates.
There is no restricted formula for the ingredients…The Chinese might get this
formula from their grandma, and their grandma got it from her grandma. (1993:2,6).
烹飪和草藥是中國傳統的兩大寶貴遺產。兩者結合，就是我們所說的“草本飲食”。蔬菜不是草藥飲食的關鍵元素。相反，我們使用草藥，以及雞肉、豬肉和牛肉等高蛋白肉類……每個中國人都知道最常見的草藥飲食的成分：人參燉雞湯、[lyceum] 水果和紅棗。成分沒有限製配方……中國人可能從他們的祖母那裡得到這個配方，他們的祖母從她的祖母那裡得到它。 (1993:2,6)。
Dark Bone Chicken Soup with
Wild Ginseng, Clove Duck, Ginkgo and Sweet Rice Ball Soup are among the 44
recipes highlighted in this book. In this sense, Chinese medicine is more
holistic than Western medicine in that it is concerned with disease prevention
and treatment (Hsu & Peacher 1993:17).
野參烏骨雞湯、丁香鴨、銀杏和甜飯糰湯是本書重點介紹的 44 種食譜之一。從這個意義上說，中醫比西醫更全面，因為它涉及疾病的預防和治療（Hsu &
Peacher 1993:17）。
Chinese medicine treats a
large range of illnesses and conditions. A sample of which include intestinal
flu, the common cold, allergies, gynecological disorders, autoimmune diseases,
chronic viral diseases, and degenerative diseases associated with aging. For
example, after a pregnancy women will often seek out an herbal prescription to
clean out the uterus that is thought to contain “dirty blood”. For men’s
health, there are many herbal formulas to choose from that will improve
virility. Children are often given reduced dosages of common prescriptions to
treat a variety of common childhood conditions including colic, teething,
earache, diarrhea, cough, and fever (American Society of Acupuncturists 1996).
For the elderly, prepackaged tonics can be purchased to stop the hair from
graying.
中醫治療範圍廣泛的疾病和病症。其中包括腸道流感、普通感冒、過敏、婦科疾病、自身免疫性疾病、慢性病毒性疾病和與衰老相關的退行性疾病。例如，女性在懷孕後經常會尋求草藥方來清除被認為含有“臟血”的子宮。為了男性的健康，有許多草藥配方可供選擇，可以提高男子氣概。兒童通常會服用減少劑量的常用處方來治療各種常見的兒童疾病，包括絞痛、出牙、耳痛、腹瀉、咳嗽和發燒（美國針灸師協會，1996 年）。對於老年人，可以購買預先包裝的滋補品，以防止頭髮變白。
It is not the explicit aim of
Chinese medicine to remedy an illness alone. Rather, its aim is to promote the
body’s ability to heal and recover from illness (Hsu 1993:xiii, American
Society of Acupuncturists 1996). Chinese medicinal prescriptions work to
balance hormones, regulate blood components, and improve immune functions (Hsu
1993:xiv). A female patient to Shun An Tong was seeking treatment for her
tongue cancer. As the doctor explained to me, the herbal prescription he
prescribed for this patient was not intended to her treat cancer, but rather to
boost the woman’s immune system.
中醫的明確目的並不是單單治病。相反，它的目的是促進身體從疾病中治愈和恢復的能力（Hsu 1993:xiii，美國針灸師協會 1996）。中藥方能平衡荷爾蒙，調節血液成分，提高免疫功能（Hsu 1993：xiv）。順安堂的一位女性患者正在尋求治療她的舌癌。正如醫生向我解釋的那樣，他為這名患者開的草藥處方並不是為了治療癌症，而是為了增強女性的免疫系統。
It is interesting to note that
traces of the American mainstream medical system can be found on these shelves.
Dimetapp Elixir and other mainstream commercial drugs, have found their way
among the bottles and packages of herbal medicines from China. These mainstream
drugs, although seemingly out of place in this environment, cater to the Asian
traveler seeking American medicines to bring home to their native country. This
mingling of traditional and mainstream medicine testifies to the forever
changing face of cultural traditions.
有趣的是，在這些貨架上可以找到美國主流醫療體系的踪跡。 Dimetapp Elixir
和其他主流商業藥物，已經在來自中國的草藥瓶和包裝中找到了自己的位置。這些主流藥物雖然在這種環境下似乎格格不入，但卻迎合了尋求美國藥物帶回家的亞洲旅行者的需求。傳統醫學和主流醫學的這種融合證明了文化傳統的面貌不斷變化。
Traditional Chinese medicine
stores provide an indispensable service to the many Asian immigrants living in
Queens. To these immigrants, who often lack health insurance and an
understanding of the English language, such stores serve as a familiar and
affordable alternative health care system (Steinhauer 2000:33). It seems that
traditional Chinese medicine will continue to flourish in China and abroad as
it has for centuries.
有趣的是，在這些貨架上可以找到美國主流醫療體系的踪跡。 Dimetapp Elixir
和其他主流商業藥物，已經在來自中國的草藥瓶和包裝中找到了自己的位置。這些主流藥物雖然在這種環境下似乎格格不入，但卻迎合了尋求美國藥物帶回家的亞洲旅行者的需求。傳統醫學和主流醫學的這種融合證明了文化傳統的面貌不斷變化。
中藥店為居住在皇后區的眾多亞裔移民提供了不可或缺的服務。對於這些通常缺乏醫療保險和懂英語的移民來說，這些商店是一種熟悉且負擔得起的替代醫療保健系統（Steinhauer
2000:33）。似乎傳統中醫藥將繼續在中國和國外蓬勃發展數百年。
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