Just wanna briefly update everyone while I wait for my Anatomy practical exam to start at 1pm today. This is the 4th and the last practical exam for this semester. I never thought I'd say this, but... HOORAY for the last Anatomy lab ever (unless I TA Anatomy next semester)! This week just flew by so fast with one exam per day. I am so numb to it all by now and that is good - I am at least relaxed. You know the feeling of being too tired to feel the stress? That's where I am at...
Anyhow, I gotta get back to studying. After this exam I am planning to actually head to the gym and do some cardio workout. If I don't go today, I know I won't be going for the rest of the semester. Hell week begins this weekend...
A question for your curious minds: Is herbal medicine real medicine?
Yes - but partly b/c I don't see why/how it's not, unless you're going with either:
ReplyDeletea. the argument that there's no "strict" symptom=>diagnosis=>herbal medication prescribed (eg in traditional chinese medicine)
b. herbal medicine relies on placebo effect
or c, science has yet to isolate a specific compound from herbal medication that has an effect in vitro or in vivo.
regarding a and c, I think that the Western way of looking for a specific "magic compound" to cure a disease can be too reductionist sometimes. Everything in our body works together, so won't it make sense that it's a particular mixture of phytocompounds that give the results advertised?
Really, though, I say yes because plants produce a lot of chemicals, particularly phyto-hormones, that most definitely affect us when we ingest them.
What think you?
I would agree with Jade. It is medicine, but maybe not scientifically based medicine or Western medicine, etc.
ReplyDeleteGOOD LUCK! :)