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WR123
Essay 1.1
TCM and wild animal protection
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) involves the use of plants and animal species for medical purposes. TCM medical system dates back to the 3rd century BC and includes massage, herbal medicine, and acupuncture. But unfortunately, the practice endangers more than 36 animal species, including rhinoceros, sea horse, tiger, and black bear. Besides, rhinoceros, tigers and sea horses are the most vulnerable among the animal species that TCM uses (Qiu, 2015). Therefore, it is good to stop using animal elements in Traditional Chinese Medicines because there are many available substitutes in TCM (approximately over 1,000 plant species), which provide better policies to protect wildlife, making people more participative in wild animal protection. Moreover, herbal treatment ingredients are better substitutes for wild animals in TCM because they do not harm the environment. Stop use wild animal elements in TCM is good because there are many substitutions use in TCM and policies help protect wild animals so that make people more participate in protecting them.
According to a study by Qiu Jane, “When the East Meets the West: The Future of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the 21st Century”, the TCM topic is quite exciting and compels us to try to get a clear understanding of its elements. The concept is bad for animals, but it goes against policies to protect and stop wildlife in Chinese medicines. Also, Jane’s study reveals that many elements can substitute for wild animals in Chinese medicine. These substitutes can replace today’s ingredients of wild animals in TCM. As a result, a better understanding of TCM can facilitate learning of cultural values to allow the change to protect wild animals. Here, the critical argument is that TCM can assist in protecting wild animals. According to Michael Pollan on “What It’s Like to Trip on the Most Potent Magic Mushroom” mushroom impacts people’s lives (Pollan, 2018). Besides, the mushroom is one of the critical plant ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine and can therefore be used to treat wild animals and human beings.
Today, most people in China discourage the use of animal therapy in Chinese medicine. Over the past few decades, the Chinese have formulated and executed policies to prevent animal species used in Traditional Chinese Medicines as one of the environmental protection initiatives. For instance, China enacted a policy in 1993 to banish the use of tiger bone and rhino horn in Chinese Traditional Pharmacopoeias. Similarly, the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies created a statement in 2010 to urge its members to stop using tiger bones and other endangered animal species in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Although some restaurants and shops trade in animal products, many Chinese medical practitioners now prescribe herbal medicines as alternatives to animal therapy in TCM (Qiu, 2015). Furthermore, there has been intensive debate about the nature of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its future development over the past decade. In addition to the animal protection initiative, some critics argue that Chinese Medication provides inaccurate descriptions of the human body as it entirely relies on imagination, which contradicts digital health systems.
Currently, there is a total ban by the National People’s Congress of China regarding any terrestrial wild animal trade until the country updates its Wildlife Protection Law and subsequent policies and regulation for industries that utilize wildlife products. Also, the world is taking active measures to prevent endangered animal species in traditional medicine. Therefore, some arguments present Traditional Chinese Medicine as pseudoscience and support its abolishment (Qiu, 2015). However, some studies indicate that TCM is a pseudoscience based on the clash between Chinese and Western medicine. As a result, the argument that TCM is pseudoscience is a manifestation of the war between Chinese and Western civilization. Besides, two global organizations and three Chinese non-governmental organizations have recently proposed that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) members stop the use of endangered animal species in traditional medicine.
Over the past three decades, Chinese medicine has proved that it can exist despite the increasing plight of endangered animal species. Between 1980 and 1990, rhinos were on the verge of extinction because of increased poaching operations to cater to the rising demand for rhino horns. In the 1980s, China was a developing country, and the largest market for rhino horns was Hong Kong and Taiwan (Qiu, 2015). These two markets were small but booming during that time. After a public outcry regarding rhino extinction, the country removed rhino from the original Chinese Pharmacopoeia by including its species in the CITES index, the most substantial level of wildlife protection initiative. In addition to the strict domestic statutes prohibiting transportation and sales of rhino products, the demand and prices of rhino horns have significantly dropped, allowing recovery of the rhino population. However, TCM has a lot to offer to modern medicine and science and removing its animal elements may limit its applicability in the contemporary medicinal world.
Many Traditional Chinese Medicine institutions do not include animal elements in their pharmacopoeias. However, conservationists worry that if the health sector becomes clear and supports traditional Chinese Medicine practices to make it acceptable without global public health intervention, the development will affect wildlife (Qiu, 2015). In particular, conservationists worry that animal poaching to support TCM will continue threatening critical animal species on the brink of extinction. The People’s Law on the Protection of Wild Animals prohibits poaching, hunting, transportation, and consumption of wild animals in the Republic of China. Similarly, other relevant policies, regulations, and statutes forbid any form of trade in endangered animal species in the country. Although it is vital to educate more people about the significance of protecting wild animals from stopping the demand for endangered species, researchers should focus more on increasing their productivity to increase their population.
A counterargument about protecting wild animals is the justification by scientists that animals are critical in medical research because their benefits to human health outweigh the harm to animals. The argument supports the use of animals in traditional medicines by leaning on cost-benefit analysis. Ideally, human life is more necessary than that of animals. As a result, people can sacrifice wild animals to better their lives as long as there are not substitutes for medicinal ingredients.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is controversy on whether scientists justify the use of wild animals in medical research. Public policy divides interests between meeting the rising demand for healthcare by endangering wild animals and supporting wildlife protection. Furthermore, wildlife plays a critical role in shaping an economy of a nation by promoting tourism, which is a crucial contributor to economic growth and development. Modern research also indicates that many herbal substitutes can perfectly replace animal elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Therefore, it is essential to protect endangered animal species by stopping their application in traditional medicines.
References
Pollan, M. (2018). What It’s Like to Trip on the Most Potent Magic Mushroom. The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/06/what-its-like-to-trip-on-the-most-potent-magic-mushroom/561860/.
Qiu, J. (2015). When the East meets the West: the future of traditional Chinese medicine in the 21st century. National Science Review, 2(3), 377-380. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwv049