Nature_Outlook：Traditional_Asian_Medicine.pdf

OUTLOOK TRADITIONAL ASIAN MEDICINE 22/29 December 2011 / Vol 480 / Issue No. 7378 hen the topic of traditional Asian medicine was first C O N T E N T S mooted, we were sceptical. To a magazine based Win Europe and steeped in the history of science, S82 TCM there is much about traditional Asian medical practice that Made in China seems mystical and pseudoscientific. Other than well known A persisting practice through the times success stories — artemisinin for malaria, and arsenic trioxide S84 CONVERGENCE for leukaemia — there seemed to be a lack of scientifically Where West meets East proven remedies. Common objectives, but different ways Yet a bit of probing revealed what a complex story this is. Not S87 PERSPECTIVE COVER ART: NIK SPENCER only are big efforts underway to modernize traditional medicine All systems go in China and Japan, but Western medicine is adopting some Jan van der Greef Editorial Herb Brody,