TCM and Saving Endangered Species
Mending the Web of Life: Chinese Medicine and Species Conservation
Elizabeth Call's book shows that Traditional Chinese Medicine and species conservation need not be mutually exclusive. A resource for practitioners and laypeople alike.
This new book provides insight into the issues surrounding Traditional Chinese Medicine and its use of endangered species. Aided by experts on the various endangered plants and animals routinely used in TCM, Elizabeth Call guides the reader through the history of their use and the reasons that it is time to stop doing so now. Some of the alternatives to the use of endangered species are then reviewed.
TCM and the Balance of Nature
In 1983 Ted Kaptchuk, O.M.D. published The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine. That book helped many to understand what Traditional Chinese Medicine is - and what it isn’t. In the forward to Mending the Web of Life, Kaptuchuk compares the dynamic equilibrium that TCM practitioners seek to provide for their clients with the damage done to the environment’s dynamic equilibrium. Emphasizing the connection between a healthy planet and human health as seen from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the book reminds practitioners of their responsibility to that Web That Has No Weaver, the web of life.
TCM Without Using Endangered Species: The Nuts and Bolts
Part I gives the background for the rest of the book, starting with the author’s personal reasons for writing it. Call then covers some of the often confusing concepts and terminology of endangered species conservation.
Part II continues by discussing Traditional Chinese Medical theory and conservation concept followed by profiles of the endangered species used in TCM. Call, a licensed acupuncturist and organic gardener, gives equal weight to endangered plants and animals. Each profile, written by an expert on the species, includes the biology, distribution, threats and conservation strategies.
Part III is for US practitioners detailing American laws and treaties affecting endangered species. CITES and the IUCN are also explained in some detail.
Part IV and V will be of most interest to Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, as it details the results of a survey done to determine the importance and frequency of use of the endangered plants and animals. The survey results also include suggested replacement species. Cultivation as a method of conserving endangered plant species rounds out this aspect of the book.
A Resource for TCM Practitioners and Their Clients
The epilogue gives lots of detail on reasonable things that practitioners can easily do to contribute to endangered species conservation while practicing TCM. Having this information in one handy place makes it easier for practitioners to create formulas that are good for the environment as well as their patients.
Emphasizing the connection between a healthy planet and human health as seen from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the book reminds practitioners of their responsibility to that web that has no weaver, the web of life, when helping their clients achieve personal wellness. Using the information found in Mending the Web of Life will help in the battle to save endangered species and keep the planet in balance. And 15% of the profits from sales of the book go toward conservation initiatives that benefit species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Call, Elizabeth. Mending the Web of Life: Chinese Medicine & Species Conservation.2006. Signature Book Printing, Inc.
