China to compile guidebook on traditional Chinese medicine

Chinese experts plan to compile a guidebook for clinical application of ready-made traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating infectious diseases.

The project will be carried out by scholars from the State Administration of TCM, China Press of TCM and China Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, according to a statement at a conference held in Hangzhou City in east China's Zhejiang Province, which was attended by more than 100 experts.

The compiling and publishing of the book is aimed at standardizing the use of TCM, which helped Chinese people overcome plagues in ancient times and has proved effective in treating modern diseases including SARS and H1N1 influenza in recent years, said Yang Hongjun, vice director of TCM institute under the China Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences.

Prepared TCM is ready-made in pill, capsule, tablet, oral liquid or granule form to be taken after being mixed with water.

Wang Guiqiang, director of the infectious disease department under Peking University First Hospital, said it is important to establish a quantification model for assessment in the use of TCM in treating infectious diseases.

It will help combine the advantages of both TCM and Western medicine and promote innovation to contribute to the world's disease prevention and treatment, Wang said.

A research center on clinical assessment of infectious diseases was also established at the conference.