經方學

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Andy Ellis is one of the significant contributors to our field. He is the co-author of The Fundamentals of Chinese Acupuncture, Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine, and Grasping the Wind. Author of Notes from South Mountain, and part of the team that has given us the latest edition of Eastland Press’s Formulas and Strategies. He is the founder of Springwind Herb Company; not only does he find time to teach and practice, but he manages to mix it up on a basketball court several times a week as well.

While our paths often cross in Taipei, this time we had to catch up on online.

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How did you manage to find your way to Taiwan in the 80’s, and what was your motivation at the time?

I first went to Taiwan in 1983 to further my studies in acupuncture. I had studied with Dr. So at the New England School of Acupuncture for a year or so and then Dr. So got ill. I wanted to learn the real thing and since China was not accessible at that time I opted for Taiwan. At that time I had no intention to study herbs but when I got to Taiwan I realized that Chinese medicine there was largely herbal. There were, and still are, herb shops in every neighborhood.

You have spent time both in Taiwan and Mainland China. How would you say the medicine traditions differ between these two places?

It is hard to characterize an entire population. There are many traditions in Taiwan and many in Mainland China. In herbal practice there has been a great influence by Japan in Taiwan. The most obvious one being the use of concentrated granules. Like the Japanese, Taiwanese doctors emphasize formulas from the Discussion of Cold Damage (傷寒論 Shang Han Lun) and the Restoration of Health from the Myriad Diseases (萬病回春 Wan Bing Hui Chun). In modern mainland China the Restoration of Health from the Myriad Diseases is largely ignored. The Cultural Revolution, which had a large influence on China also influenced the medicine. Much of the spiritual nature was removed and a more dialectical approach was substituted for primarily political reasons. That is not to say that there were not many wonderful schools of thought that survived this purging but it was definitely an influence and can be seen in the modern writings.

Both Taiwan and China seem to feel a need to have their medicine be taken seriously by the West. They have taken slightly different approaches to gaining this approval. That is a long topic perhaps for another discussion.

Dr. Shi was a real influence for you. What about your time with him informs the way you approach medicine today?

Dr. Shi was the kind of doctor that I had hoped I would find in China. His unending patience and kind manner set an example that my better self recognized immediately. His approach to the medicine was not dogmatic and he felt truly that he was the fortunate recipient of a tradition that dated back to the early Han. Anyone who spent time with him gleaned immediately that he felt privileged to be able to help others with the information and tradition that had been handed down to him. I can only hope to emulate his manner and the unending study he engaged in order to help his patients.

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Andy’s book about Dr. Shi, not only is part of his contribution to us in the West, but also passes along some of the essence of Dr. Shi’s experience, learning and teaching. You can download THIS pdf file that contains a few pages from the book; it gives  a glimpse into the mind of Dr. Shi. Andy is making the book available at a 10% discount to the readers of classicformulas.com.

Click HERE to go directly to the Springwind site, at the checkout page simply enter classicformulas in the coupon space. This book not only gives great clinical tips, it also gives you a taste of how a gentleman/doctor thinks and works. We don’t have many books like this.

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It may not be a trip to China, but it is an opportunity
to engage the mind of a true doctor of the art!

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