Abstract—Ritual is one of the most classic research topics in the field of Anthropology, and rituals have close connection with medial practice. However, the research on this topic from the experience of Traditional Chinese Medicine is limited. This paper presents the whole story that a patient suffering from infertility got cured got cured by a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) and finally became a mother. With the detailed description of each medical practice, including pulse-taking, traditional Chinese herb therapy, and postpartum confinement, this paper analyzes the ritualized elements in the whole process, interprets how ritual play a role in the practice of TCM, and points out ritual’s essential significance in contributing to human’s well being and adjusting the relationships between individual and the world.
Index Terms—Medical anthropology, ritual, traditional Chinese medicine.
Jian Liang is with the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Medical College, Xiamen University, Fujian, CO 361005 China (e-mail: L515818325@163.com).
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Cite: Jian Liang, "Rituals in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Taking a Case of Infertility as an Example," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 9-12, 2022.
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