Wheaton: Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 2
May 21, 2009
Report from the Field:
This week in addition to practicing Tai Chi students experienced firsthand the long practiced TCM treatment of “cupping”.
Wheaton student participate in TCM "cupping" treatment
Cupping is used to release “heat” form the unbalanced system in the body,and it is also used to relieve pain and to remove poison. A cotton swap soaked in alcohol was lit and the flame was put into a glass cup for half a second. The cup is then quickly put on the the skin. Since a slight vacuum is thus created, the cup will be stuck to the skin. It can be made to glide in a large area on the vasoline treated skin or stay stationary for a period of time. The skin under the cup will then turn red or purple due to subcutaneous bleeding which in turn will release the “heat” or “poison” in the blood.
Professor Ed Tong also added:
Students on the herb brewing "assembly line"
“We also did Herb brewing yesterday and massage today. Five herbs were brewed together in separate containers on a large scale in the hospital. You can see Wheaton students working on an “assembly line”. After it was done, we all drank the brewed medicine which help us to supress the “heat” and balance our Ying/Yang energies.”