Balancing with Nature: Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine

 

Balancing with Nature: Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is more than a medical system — it is a way of seeing life. It begins with a simple observation: humans are part of nature. Just as trees need sunlight, water, and rich earth to thrive, people need balance in their daily rhythm, emotions, and surroundings.

In TCM, health is not only the absence of disease but the presence of harmony. When someone feels tired all the time or becomes easily upset, it isn’t just a question of one organ or one symptom; it is a sign that life’s natural flow has been disrupted — like a stream blocked by fallen leaves. The goal of TCM is to help that stream flow smoothly again, restoring the body’s rhythm and ease.

Where Western medicine often focuses on the part that hurts — fixing a joint, lowering blood pressure, or destroying bacteria — TCM tends to look at the whole garden instead of the single plant. Western science is excellent at measuring, identifying, and analyzing the physical causes of illness. TCM, however, focuses more on relationships: how sleep affects mood, how emotions affect digestion, and how every part of life responds to the weather, food, and time of day.

TCM believes our bodies change with the seasons. In spring, we should move and stretch; in summer, enjoy lightness and openness; in autumn, slow down and reflect; in winter, keep warm and conserve energy. This living rhythm aligns us with the larger world — it teaches that healing isn’t only found in medicine but also in the way we live each day.

The roots of this way of thinking may sound poetic, yet they point toward a practical truth: balance creates strength. To live in tune with nature and with ourselves is to nurture quiet resilience — the kind that doesn’t only repair illness but builds vitality long before sickness appears.

新嘉坡風土記：李鍾玨筆下的現代醫療與殖民社會觀察

 

新嘉坡風土記：李鍾玨筆下的現代醫療與殖民社會觀察

殖民哨所中的現代醫療讚歌

前言

光緒十三年（1887年），上海文士李鍾玨遠赴新嘉坡探訪好友、領事官左秉隆 。他於1895年集結出版的《新嘉坡風土記》，為後世留下了晚清文人眼中大英帝國海峽殖民地近代化的珍貴觀察 。李氏的筆觸遍及如「驪龍頷下珠」的地理形勢與興盛的胡椒、甘蜜貿易 ，而他最為讚賞的，莫過於西方在公共衛生與制度管理上的成就。

醫學之建築：稱讚西人醫院

李鍾玨在書中以極大篇幅稱讚英人在坡所設的醫院，將其視為「規制完善」與「潔淨無比」的典範 。

• 環境標準：李氏驚嘆於醫院設施的廣闊，指出病房不僅寬敞且通風良好 。

• 病患尊嚴：他觀察到每位病患均設有一榻，並配備長桌與凳子，以便日常食息 。

• 行動自由：與當時中國內地陰暗壓抑的留養所不同，他發現坡中的病人可隨意站立、坐臥或行走，「無拘苦狀」 。

對國內現狀的深刻反思

李氏對新嘉坡醫院的稱讚，實則是對當時中國慈善機構現狀的有力批判。他指出，中國各大城市雖不乏施藥善舉，但房舍往往「偪仄」，且「穢氣薰蒸」 。他直言，無病之人進入此地尚且生病，病者又如何能痊癒 ？他認為若能仿效西人拓地增屋、雇傭打掃夫，其惠民效果將不可估量 。

文化隔閡與現代基礎建設

儘管李氏極度推崇西醫院的規制，他也察覺到華人因文化差異而對西醫治療感到「震駭」而不敢入內 。他特別推舉澳門華商創辦的鏡湖醫院為模範：該院仿效西醫病房分類（分內症、外症、瘋症），卻聘用華醫使用中藥，實現了「仿西人規制而能通其變」 。

除了醫療，李氏亦紀錄了新嘉坡其他現代化設施：

• 公共衛生：英人在西北山區尋找泉源，透過沙濾與鐵管將清水引至人煙稠密處，甚至能通管入屋 。

• 土木工程：他讚揚島上的鐵橋極其堅固，更勝於上海租界之橋梁 。

• 公共安全：設有火警電傳系統與水門澆灌設施，使城市「無大火」之憂 。

結語

李鍾玨的紀錄不單是一本遊記，更是一份現代化的倡議書。透過描繪那「病房潔淨」與「規制完善」的星洲醫院，他為當時的中國讀者描繪了一幅透過建築與管理改革，重塑社會福利與人民健康的宏大願景 。

 

Chronicles of a Southern Sojourn: Li Zhongjue’s Observations of Modern Medicine and Colonial Society in Singapore

The Praise of Modern Medicine in a Colonial Outpost

Introduction

In 1887, Li Zhongjue, a scholar from Shanghai, journeyed to Singapore to visit his close friend Zuo Binglong, the Chinese Consul. His observations, later published as Xingjiapo Fengtuji (The Customs of Singapore) in 1895, provide a rare late-Qing perspective on the rapid modernization of the British Straits Settlements. While Li documented everything from the "pearl-like" geography of the island to the thriving pepper and gambier trades, he was particularly struck by the stark differences between Chinese and Western approaches to public health and institutional management.

The Architecture of Healing: Praising the Western Hospital

One of the most significant sections of Li’s record is his detailed praise for the British-run hospitals in Singapore. He describes these institutions as models of "perfected regulations" and "impeccable cleanliness".

• Environmental Standards: Li marveled at the spaciousness of the facilities, noting that the hospital grounds were vast and the wards were both clean and well-ventilated.

• Patient Dignity: He observed that each patient was provided with their own bed, along with a long table and stool for eating and resting.

• Freedom of Movement: Unlike the restrictive or grim atmospheres of contemporary Chinese relief houses, Li noted that patients in Singapore were allowed to stand, sit, or walk freely, appearing "without the appearance of being constrained or suffering".

A Critique of Domestic Conditions

Li used his praise for Singapore’s hospitals as a mirror to critique the state of charitable institutions in China. He noted that while Chinese cities had many benevolent halls (Shan Tang), their physical conditions were often "cramped and oppressive," filled with "foul-smelling vapors". He argued that a healthy person entering such a place would likely fall ill, and a sick person would find no recovery. By adopting the Western model of expanding land, increasing the number of rooms, and hiring dedicated cleaning staff, Li believed the impact on public welfare would be immense.

Cultural Friction and Modern Infrastructure

Despite his admiration for the facilities, Li recognized the deep-seated cultural fear many Chinese residents felt toward Western medical practices, which they found "alarming" or "terrifying". He pointed to the Kiang Wu Hospital in Macau as a successful middle ground: it adopted Western-style regulations for ward separation (internal medicine, surgery, infectious diseases) but employed Chinese doctors using traditional herbal formulas.

Beyond medicine, Li noted other facets of Singapore’s modern infrastructure:

• Sanitation: The British engineered a sophisticated water system, sourcing spring water from the mountains, filtering it through sand, and piping it into the city.

• Civil Engineering: He praised the iron bridges, which he found even more sturdy than those in the foreign concessions of Shanghai.

• Public Safety: The fire prevention system involved telegraph alerts and high-pressure water gates, ensuring that "no major fires" occurred.

Conclusion

Li Zhongjue’s account is more than a travelogue; it is a call for modernization. By highlighting the "spotless wards" and "systematic regulations" of Singapore’s hospitals, he provided his Chinese readers with a vision of how social welfare could be transformed through architectural and administrative reform.

 

新嘉坡風土記：李鍾玨筆下的十九世紀末星洲紀實

前言

光緒十三年（1887年），上海學者李鍾玨為探訪時任中國駐新嘉坡領事的至交左秉隆，遠渡重洋抵達星洲 。在為期一月的寓居期間，李氏詳盡記錄了該地的地理、政治、經濟及社會面貌，並於1895年將其雜記彙編成《新嘉坡風土記》 。此書不僅是珍貴的歷史文獻，更捕捉了新加坡在殖民鼎盛時期背後的社會複雜性。

地理環境：海中之珠

李鍾玨將新加坡形容為「驪龍頷下珠」，生動地描繪了其位於馬來半島南端、四面環水的地理形勢 。他觀察到，此地西有蘇門答臘，南有爪哇，東有婆羅洲為屏障，形勢優越，為南洋各島所不及 。全島以河為界，分為「大坡」（南）與「小坡」（北），島上平陽多而山少，草木茂盛 。

英國殖民統治與行政

當時的英人統治架構嚴密，設有總督、輔政使司及各類專職司官 。李氏特別提到「護衞司」一職，名義上管理華人事務，實則時常掣肘 。此外，新加坡自開埠以來推行免稅政策，僅對煙、酒重征稅收，這兩項稅收成為政府收入的大宗 。

族群融合與社會組成

根據當時的冊籍，居民分為五種：中國人、歐羅巴人、巫來由人（土人）、亞墨利加人及東方諸國人 。其中華人數目最多，約在八、九萬至十萬之間 。李氏亦觀察到「土生華人」的文化變遷，如婦女多從土裝、習巫語，令他感嘆風俗人心之壞 。

經濟貿易與社會問題

新加坡作為貿易轉運中心，以胡椒和甘蜜為出口大宗 。儘管此地造就了擁資千萬的華商，但社會底層的暗影依然沉重：

• 「賣豬仔」現象：販賣華工出洋的惡習屢禁不止，許多沿海人民被騙或被劫入番舶，處境淒慘 。

• 鴉片流毒：儘管煙價因重稅而昂貴，但貧苦勞工仍深陷煙癖，將血汗錢盡付煙斗 。

• 祕密結社：島內存在所謂「危險會」（私會黨），入會人數高達五萬六千餘人，成為治安隱憂 。

文化與現代設施

李氏對當地的現代化建設印象深刻，包括堅固的鐵橋、徹夜不熄的煤氣燈，以及收藏有十丈蟒蛇和人面魚的博物院 。他稱讚西人醫院規制完善、病房潔淨，但也指出華人因文化差異而對西醫感到畏懼 。

結語

李鍾玨認為，新嘉坡雖處極盛之時，但因商務繁盛帶來的姦僞變詐與傳統流失，已顯露「運會將下」之機 。他的觀察不僅紀錄了星洲的繁華，更以一名清末知識分子的視角，深刻反思了海外華人在殖民體系下的生存與掙扎。