© 2004, the authors Evidenced-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol. 1, Issue 3 © Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved. The online version of this article has been published under an open access model. Users are entitled to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the open access version of this article provided that: the original authorship is properly and fully attributed; the Journal and Oxford University Press are attributed as the original place of publication with the correct citation details given; if an article is subsequently reproduced or disseminated not in its entirety but only in part or as a derivative work this must be clearly indicated.
Commentary |
Designations of Medicines
Chang Gung University Táiw
n
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
With the proliferation of medicines vying for recognition in modern health care systems, we are in some cases faced with the problem of what to call them. One has only to consider the terms ‘complementary’ and ‘alternative’, which appear in the title of this journal, to gain a sense of the problem. The two terms are virtually synonymous in their referents. Nevertheless, they differ markedly in their connotations, since they imply different roles in their relationship with the medicine that has come to dominate health care over the planet. What is more, they are considered by some as inappropriate designations for traditional medicines such as Chinese, Arabic and Ayurvedic medicine on the grounds that these cannot be defined in terms of an alien medical system of much more recent vintage. Many other terms used to designate medicines are also the subject of disagreement. Hence, clarification of their connotations may help
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Modern Western Biomedicine |
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Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines |
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East Asian (Oriental) Medicine |
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Evidence-Based Medicine |
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For reprints and all correspondence: Nigel Wiseman, Chang Gung University, Táiw
n. E-mail: Nigel.wiseman@msa.hinet.net
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