Sunday morning – Traditional Chinese Medicine
I went to the local doctors today and it was not just a medical experience but a cultural one! And local – it was just around the corner. Tuanjiehu has a great many resources. This particular centre was huge and obviously long-standing. It was richly painted in the traditional Chinese manner on both ceiling and walls, in a similar vein to the renovations of the temples and tombs around the city. Two marble statues of the fathers of Chinese medicine [I assume] flanked a stuffed peacock in the main area. A small wooden bridge traversed a pond full of goldfish and a woman was playing a traditional stringed instrument. It was very busy but I was shepherded carefully through the system by a helpful young assistant. About 10 assistants prepared the herbs for the medicines from two long walls of wooden drawers floor to ceiling. 6 assistants helped point patients in the right direction and several cashiers took money. Upstairs the doctors had their rooms where they could attend to about 6 patients at a time. There must have been about 10-12 doctors working this morning. My assistant took me up to see Dr Meng [pronounced Mung] who had some English. He suggested herbs and acupuncture. He was emphatic when assuring me about the sterility of the needles for acupuncture even though I had not queried this. The acupuncture lasted about 15 minutes. I took the option for the herbs to be boiled for me and each dose was packaged in one small sealed bag, two per day. I had to return to pick them up in the afternoon and they were still hot – and don’t taste too bad. I have had Chinese medicine in both Australia and the UK, and I am pleased to have finally had the treatment in its place of origin. Dr Meng suggested I return next Sunday morning for a follow up.
