Amid the green mountains of Yuncheng City in central China’s Shanxi
Province stands a cancer hospital of traditional Chinese medicine
that has cured and helped extend life for many cancer victims
thanks to its director Cui Koushi. Cui, 53, is known for his
consummate skills in traditional Chinese medicine.
Dr. Cui’s international reputation has been earned in part through
his development of ointments and other medicines that have proved
effective in the treatment of cancer. More than 10,000 cancer
victims suffering from lung, breast, cervical, or liver cancer have
approached Dr. Cui for help over the past three decades. They come
from across China and from other countries like the United States,
England, France, Australia, and Thailand.
“Modern diseases are no longer easily cured with Western medicine,
which can lead to a body becoming immune if used for a long period
of time,” Dr. Cui said. "In addition, some types of Western
medicine have debilitating side effects that have prompted some
patients to seek alternative treatment."
Born into a poor farming family in Yuncheng, Shanxi, Dr. Cui Koushi
developed an interest in traditional Chinese medicine at an early
age when he saw how difficult it was for a poor family to get
medical care. Dr. Cui himself had to drop out of school to help his
father with farming. Whenever he became ill, he was often treated
by acupuncture simply because it was cheap.
“As a comparatively inexpensive but effective medical resource,
traditional Chinese medicine is vital to the country’s more than
900 million farmers, many of whom still lack basic medical care,”
said Dr. Cui.
Dr. Cui said he became inspired to fight cancer after seeing a
neighbor die in 1968. “After my neighbor Liu Caifeng [a woman
farmer] died from cervical cancer in 1968, I decided to fight
against cancer with traditional Chinese medicine. At that time,
nobody could save her, and I accompanied her to many large
hospitals. Her suffering before her death filled me with great pity
and regret,” Dr. Cui said.
Dr. Cui went on to study in a traditional Chinese medicine school
in Shanxi in 1965 and devoted himself to collecting and documenting
the valuable traditional treatment methods from ancient books and
well-known doctors. He has read medical classics such as
Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies compiled
by Sun Simiao in the seventh century, Compendium of Materia
Medica, the most comprehensive work of ancient Chinese herbal
books, Panorama of Chinese Medicine, and Grand View of
Surgery. In addition, he studied under famous local doctors and
went to the Peking Union Medical College Hospital to learn and
exchange views with accomplished doctors there. Later he worked in
a clinic in his hometown.
To
develop effective medicines – including his A1, A2, A3, A4
ointments for treatment of cancer -- Dr. Cui conducted hundreds of
tests on chickens and rabbits, and even on himself. Through years
of theoretical research and clinical practice, Dr. Cui became an
expert in chronic and gynecological diseases.
The cure rate at Dr. Cui’s hospital is high. Zhang Ailing, one of
his patients, is a breast cancer survivor. Before seeing Dr. Cui,
she had gone through three operations and only to find that the
cancer cells were still spreading. On the verge of desperation, she
came to Dr. Cui, who applied his A3 ointment to remove blood
stasis. After 70 days, the tumor disappeared. Zhang has since
married and has a healthy son.
Talking about the future of traditional Chinese medicine, Dr. Cui
expressed mixed feelings.
“Traditional medicine has long been neglected in the world, which
is a serious mistake as it is an important element of the
preventive health care system. On the other hand, with the spread
of knowledge about herbal medicines and more media coverage of
success stories, traditional medicine is gaining more favor
worldwide.”
To
serve more patients and help people gain a better understanding of
traditional Chinese medicine, Dr. Cui joined the Academy of Chinese
Medicine, USA, and the World Institute of Traditional Chinese
Medicines. His articles have won international prizes, and he has
been invited abroad for medical service and exchanges.
(China.org.cn by Guo Xiaohong 08/31/2001)