Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hawaii

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine are two virtually antithetical medical systems. Western medicine is objective, quantitative and precise as opposed to the subjective, qualitative and imprecise nature of Traditional Chinese medicine. Indeed, even the prescriptions rendered under the Traditional Chinese medicine system are fraught with inaccuracies--one can never be certain of the exact dosage received. What is the result then, when these two very different medical systems seek to co-exist? The answer can be found by directly studying the location where these two systems meet. One such site of encounter is the People's Republic of China where Western medicine is slowly and selectively being introduced to a society that predominately subscribes to Traditional Chinese medicine. In the People's Republic of China, Chinese folk medicine is not only the primary medical system in the hearts of the populace, but is actively supported by the government as well. There are numerous other sites around the world where Western and Chinese medicine meet. Some of these encounters resulted from Westerners introducing their medical science to an area originally using Traditional Chinese medicine. Hong Kong is a prime example of this. Other encounters were caused by Chinese sojourners who took their folk medicine to predominately western areas, such as Hawaii. The title of this paper is Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hawaii, and its objective is to research the phenomenon of Chinese folk medicine in Hawaii. Specifically, the paper shall present the history and philosophy of Chinese medicine, its introduction to early Hawaii, and finally its role in modern Hawaiian society for the present and the near future.