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Traditional Medicine Linked to Environmental Illnesses     

與環境疾病相關的傳統醫學 

Since the introduction of traditional Chinese medicine into Macao about 400 years ago, traditional medicine and medical methods have become one of the most important local customs related to health, in response to health threats such as infectious diseases and arthritis caused by Macao's unique high-temperature and humid climate. Since Macao is located in the Lingnan area, it has been known as the land of disease in ancient times. Its climate, environment, and living conditions are prone to the spread of infectious diseases. Due to the backwardness of the social and health environment, plagues of different scales occur from time to time, with cholera, pestis, tuberculosis etc. having the deep impact on Macao. Macao with unstable atmospheric circulation, is vulnerable to extreme weather events such as typhoons, storms, and torrential rains. The spread of rain and hot temperatures lead to the breeding of bacteria. Moreover, Macao has suffered from pandemics for a long history. Taking Cholera for example, Macao is the only city in the entire Lingnan region that has experienced all seven cholera pandemics.

自約400年前中醫藥傳入澳門以來,傳統醫學和醫療方法已成為澳門與健康相關的最重要習俗之一,以應對澳門獨特的高溫潮濕氣候造成的傳染病和關節炎等健康威脅。由於澳門位於嶺南地區,在古代就被稱為疾病之鄉。其氣候、環境和生活條件容易造成傳染病的傳播。由於社會衛生環境的落後,不同規模的瘟疫時有發生,其中霍亂、瘟疫、結核病等對澳門影響最深。澳門大氣環流不穩定,容易受到極端天氣事件的影響,如颱風、暴風雨和暴雨。雨水和高溫的蔓延導致了細菌的滋生。此外,澳門長期以來一直遭受大流行病的困擾。以霍亂為例,澳門是整個嶺南地區唯一經歷過全部七次霍亂大流行的城市。

Before the 19th century, traditional Chinese medicine, as the main method of treating diseases and epidemics in Chinese society, made significant contributions to solving citizens' health problems and spreading epidemics. According to records, doctors at that time used traditional Chinese medicine and invented and used various drugs including "Emergency Revitalization Pill" and "Health and Epidemic Prevention Pill" to treat patients, effectively suppressing the symptoms of cholera. In addition, the famous Chinese philosopher Guanying Zheng wrote a Chinese medicine book titled "Cholera Prescriptions" in 1887, providing education to the public on how to use traditional Chinese medicine to prevent and treat cholera during the epidemic.

19世紀以前,中醫藥作為中國社會治療疾病和流行病的主要方法,為解決公民健康問題和流行病的傳播做出了巨大貢獻。據記載,當時的醫生使用中醫藥,發明並使用包括「急救回生丹」與「衛生防疫寶丹」在內的各種藥物治療患者,以有效抑制霍亂的症狀。此外,中國著名思想家鄭觀應撰寫名為《霍亂驗方》的中醫科普書籍,1887年,為公眾提供關於如何在霍亂流行期間使用中藥預防和治療霍亂的教育。

Macau Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society is the oldest and most famous existing traditional Chinese medicine store in Macao, founded in the autumn of 1941. It is a non-profit organization that has always been dedicated to serving people in urgent need, providing medical gifts and medication, making it highly representative. The establishment of the Tongshan Hall was proposed when Macao was in a difficult period, and many people lived in poor and difficult environments. Usually, due to poor street air quality and a lack of ventilation systems in buildings, citizens often suffer from diseases such as malaria and cholera without money for treatment, and the condition gradually worsens, even resulting in countless deaths. The founder Mr. Gao Kening saw this situation and fully supported the pharmaceutical bureau. He provided generous help for the government and various parties at that time, greatly supporting the alleviation of the pandemic and citizen's health issues solving, which enabled the establishment of the bureau. To this day, the pharmacy still aims to donate medicine and help the poor.

澳門現存最古老、最著名的中藥店是同善堂藥房,成立於1941年秋季。它是一個非營利組織,一直致力於為急需説明的人提供服務,提供醫療資源和藥物,使其具有很強的代表性。同善堂的建立是在澳門處於困難時期,許多人生活在貧窮和困難的環境中時提出的。通常,由於街道空氣品質差,建築缺乏通風系統,市民經常苦於感染如瘧疾,霍亂等疾病而沒有錢治療,病情逐漸惡化,甚至有無數人死亡。創始人高可甯先生看到了這種情況,並全力支援製藥機構。他為當時的政府和各方提供了慷慨的幫助,極大地支持了疫情的緩解和公民健康問題的解決,這使得該局得以成立。直到今天,藥房仍然致力於捐贈藥品和幫助窮人。

 

 

 

St. Paul's College which was founded by the Jesuits in 1594 and the pharmacy of which was the best pharmacy of Macao in the 17th century, storing both Chinese and Western medicine. According to the document recorded in the St. Paul's College, the most unique prescription of Macanese medicine in Macao is the three-wood liquor, which comes from the traditional medical wisdom of the Macanese community and was still used to effectively treat cholera until the early 20th century. The method is to grind wood chips one by one from the three different types of wooden stick: Chenxiang, Muxiang and Xisheng rattan in a sand tray, add brandy, stir, and pour into a small bowl. By using a combination of Chinese and Western medicine and based on medical experience, it's recorded that cholera symptoms can also be effectively alleviated from at the initial stage by using traditional Macanese treatment like three-wood liquor, using, which is an effective way for the community to combat cholera epidemic that frequently happens during the past 200 years. The traditional medicine and treatment system is so important in addressing the health threats posed by climate change in Macao, as it effectively controlled the spread of infectious diseases and plagues under the harsh climate conditions of Macao before the popularization of modern science. Moreover, the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance system is usually a master apprentice system, however, it is mainly father son inheritance in Macao. The inheritance of local medicine and production in Portugal is mainly achieved through oral teaching of relevant skills, or by writing knowledge on Chinese rice paper to pass on to the next generation.

由耶穌會士于1594年創立的聖保羅學院,該學院的藥房是17世紀澳門最大的藥房,包括中藥與西藥等,也用葡文記載了許多自從16世紀以來的傳統藥方,是研究澳門醫學歷史的重要資料來源。根據聖保羅學院記錄的檔,澳門最獨特的澳門醫藥處方是三木酒,它來自澳門社區的傳統醫學智慧,直到20世紀初仍被用於有效治療霍亂。方法是在沙盤中從沉香、木香和錫生藤三種不同類型的木棍中逐一研磨木屑,加入白蘭地,攪拌,倒入小碗中。通過中西醫結合,根據醫學經驗,使用三木酒等澳門傳統療法,霍亂症狀也可以從最初階段得到有效緩解,這是社區對抗過去200年來頻繁發生的霍亂疫情的有效方法。以及在現代科學普及之前,傳統醫療體系在澳門惡劣的氣候條件下有效地控制了傳染病和瘟疫的傳播,因此在應對氣候變化對澳門健康構成的威脅方面非常重要。中醫藥傳承制度通常是師徒制,但在澳門是父子傳承為主。葡萄牙本土醫藥和生產的傳承主要通過口頭傳授相關技能,或將知識寫在中國宣紙上傳承給下一代來實現。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to Macau's unique warm and humid climate, many Chinese medicinal herbs are difficult to preserve. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine doctors in Macau have gradually explored and developed unique and effective methods for processing and storing traditional medicinal materials. Usually, most traditional Chinese medicine is dried in the sun in order to be stored for a long time. For traditional Chinese medicine that can affect its properties after drying, the traditional method is to lay a layer of lime on top of the medicine and separate them with paper to dry the surface of the medicine. In order to store medicinal materials, a traditional method is for traditional Chinese medicine masters to store them in natural caves. Due to the low temperature and dry environment, some drugs can be stored in caves for up to three to five years to avoid spoilage. The supply of drugs is also affected by climate change, as inappropriate climate conditions may reduce their growth and production. Moreover, the efficacy and efficacy of many traditional Chinese medicines will vary according to different temperatures and humidity, which will be affected by the constantly rising temperatures in Macau's climate change.

由於澳門獨特的溫暖濕潤氣候,許多中藥材不易保存。因此,澳門的中醫師傅們逐漸探索和開發了獨特有效的傳統藥材加工和儲存方法。通常,大部分中藥都會曬乾,以便長期保存。對於曬乾後會影響藥性的中藥,傳統的方法是鋪一層石灰在藥材上面,並用紙隔開它們,從而將藥材表面的水分乾燥。為了儲存藥材,一個傳統的方式是,中藥師傅們將藥材其放入山洞或窯洞中儲存。由於低溫和乾燥的環境避免藥物的變質,有些藥物可在山洞存放三五年之久。藥物的供應也受到氣候變化的影響,因為不適當的氣候條件可能會減少其生長和產量。而且許多中藥的藥效與療效會會根據不同的溫度和濕度而變化,進而被澳門氣候變化中不斷升高的溫度所影響。

 

For modern Macao residents, they still face weather related health challenges, such as climate sensitive diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis, and asthma. In Macao, as a symptom of rheumatism, citizens who have been stimulated by humid environments for a long time are prone to joint pain. People with low back pain and leg pain often experience the symptoms before or during weather changes, especially on the eve of typhoons. Many medicinal herbs in traditional Chinese medicine can effectively clear heat and remove moisture from the human body, which is of great help for addressing health issues brought about by climate change. For example, to treat rheumatism, it is necessary to promote qi circulation, promote blood circulation, and dispel dampness. Medicinal materials such as Chicken Blood Vine, Broad Rooted Vine, Niuxi, Niudali can be used to achieve therapeutic effects. There are various ways to take these medicines. For example, Chicken Blood Vine has the effects of relaxing tendons, promoting blood circulation, regulating menstruation, and nourishing blood, such as adding it to a soup as a dietary remedy or brew it into an ointment for consumption. Traditional Chinese medicine in Macao has achieved the effect of alleviating the suffering of citizens and even curing patients through affordable prices, effective treatment effects on infectious diseases such as cholera, and widely disseminated drug knowledge among people, thereby reducing the impact and spread of the epidemic.

對於現代澳門居民來說,他們仍然面臨與天氣相關的健康挑戰,例如風濕病、關節炎和哮喘等在澳門逐漸加劇的氣候敏感疾病。比如,在澳門,長期受潮濕環境刺激的市民們容易出現關節痛,這是風濕病的顯著症狀之一。天氣變化尤其是颱風前夕,腰酸腿痛者受到氣候的影響,關節疼痛也常常發作。中醫中的許多草藥可以有效地清熱除濕,解決氣候帶來的健康問題。比如中醫治療風濕病就是要行氣,活血,祛濕, 可以利用雞血藤,寬根藤,牛膝,牛大力等藥材治癒。以雞血藤為例子,它具有舒筋活血、調經養血的功效。它的服用方法多樣,比如可以放入煲湯中作為食療,也可以煎成藥膏服用。澳門的中醫藥通過實惠的價格、對霍亂等傳染病的有效治療效果,以及人們口中廣泛傳播的藥物知識,達到了緩解市民疫情痛苦甚至治癒患者的效果,從而減少了疫情的影響和傳播。

However, under the development of modern Western medicine and the popularization of synthetic drugs, with the high preservation costs, complex taking methods, and threats from climate change to the cultivation, sales, and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine pose a risk of its decline. Niudali has the effects of promoting blood circulation, soothing tendons, and relieving pain. It is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used in Macao to treat rheumatism, with a high demand and mainly produced in southern China. Suitable for growing in cool temperature environments that avoids high temperatures, it is highly susceptible to climate change and the increasing temperature in its origin place like Guangdong, resulting in reduced production, higher price for Macao importation and affected efficacy.

然而,隨著現代西藥的發展和合成藥物的普及,以及中藥高昂的保存成本,複雜的服用方法和來自氣候變化對中藥種植,售賣與藥效的種種威脅,使其面臨著衰落的風險。比如,牛大力具有活血通絡,舒筋止痛的藥效,是澳門治療風濕病的傳統中藥材,需求量較大。其產地主要在中國南方。適合生長在涼爽的氣溫環境中,忌高溫,因此,它極易受到氣候變化的影響,比如產地之一:廣東氣溫逐年升高,導致牛大力的減產,進口價格升高,乃至藥效受到影響。

Picture 1: Macau Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society 圖一:同善堂

Source:Jimmy 來源:Jimmy

Picture 2: Ruins of Saint Paul’s College 圖二:聖寶祿學院遺址

Source:Jimmy 來源:Jimmy

Picture 3: De Sheng Medicine Store  圖三:德生藥行

Picture 4: Jiafa Traditional Chinese Medicine Store  圖四:佳發中藥房

Source:Jimmy 來源:Jimmy

References:

Amaro, A. M. (1997). The influence of traditional Chinese medicine on the pharmacy of St. Paul's College. Cultural Magazine, 30(1).

Cai, S. M. (2021). A Brief History of Epidemics in Macau. Chapter 1: Cholera - Two Centuries of Terror.

 

Huang, Y. H. (2019). The Plague of 1895 and the Development of Public Health in Macau. Journal of Macau Polytechnic Institute, (3), 174-182. (R516.8). (A). (0874-1824(2019)03-0174-09).

Tang, K. Y. (2015). One hundred years of tuberculosis prevention and control in Macau: Strategies for the 21st century.

Zheng, H. (2002). Zheng Guanying: His medical activities and medical ideas. Department of Medical History, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Grant No. 02F49).

By CHE XU, JIMMY 

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