Prospectus of the Institute

1. Introduction

Founded in 1971 as a unit directly affiliated to the Academy of TCM, the Department of Medical History and Medical Literature was formed by the combination of the Department of Medical History , Institute of Chinese Medicine under the Central Medical Academy (established in 1951) and Department of Compilation and Examination, under the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (established in 1955). The China Institute for History of Medicine and Medical Literatures was formally founded on 28, May 1982 as an integral part of the China Academy of TCM. The main tasks of the Institute are research on the development of Chinese medical history, recapitulation and studies on ancient medical classics and works of successive ages so as to serve the modernization of TCM . It is an organization with the following attached institutions , viz. Chinese Journal of Medical History, Journal of Administration of TCM , both periodicals at the national level ; Society of Medical History of Chinese Medical Association; Literature Society , Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy ; Society of History of Chinese Medicine , Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacy; Society of History of Pharmacy , Chinese Pharmaceutical Association; and Society of TCM Engineering, Chinese Association of Biomedical Engineering; all academic communities Chinese at the national level.

Under the Institute , there are Departments of General History of TCM, History of Medicine of Chinese Minorities , and Comparative Medical History, Chinese Basic Medical Literature and Chinese Clinical Literature, Computer Assisting the Recapitulation of Ancient Medical Works, Medical Books and Informations, Museum for History of Medicine, Zhongda Medical Culture Incorporation , Administration Office , and Office of Scientific Research . The Institute has 35 members with high academic title, with a collection of 50000 books, 3000 items of historical relics, 14 sets of modern minimizing machine and reading facilities, cameras, and computers.

2. Scientific research and its achievements

Since the establishment of the Institute , some 40 projects from different levels, including the National Fund for Natural Sciences, Ministry of Health , and State Administration of TCM have been performed . Among them , the following projects won awards of significant scientific achie- vements : Study on " Recipes for 52 Kinds of Disorders ", Study on "Medical Bamboo Slips of Han Dynasty Unearthed in Wu Wei", Chinese Translation of "Four Medical Tantras", Glossary of Selected Medical Nomenclatures, A Concise Dictionary of TCM, Study on Variorum of Shen- nong's Classic of Materia Medica, TCM Historiography, A Great Dictionary of TCM , China's Tibetan Medicine , Records on Illustrations of TCM Ancient History, Collections of Classics of Ancient Chinese Science and Technology (Volume on Medicine), all with international reputation. In 1997, there were 1 first prize and 3 second prizes from the Academy, 1 first prize and 2 second prizes of National TCM basic research from the State Administration of TCM . In 1998, there were 2 second prizes, 1 third prize from the Academy, 2 third prizes from National Award of Advancement on Science and Technology . All these have placed our Institute at the top of the award list in TCM circle in the whole nation. The research personnels have ample publications , with over 100 monographs , 100 recapitulated ancient medical works and over 1000 papers published.

3. Education

As the two bases of the Ministry for teaching and training on medical history and TCM literatures, the Institute has currently 4 supervisors for doctorate candidates, 5 supervisors for master degree candidate. Since 1987, doctorate candidate were enrolled, and the enrollment of graduates from abroad made its debut since 1993. So far altogether over 40 master degree and 10 doctor degree candidates have graduated from the Institute Besides, training classes on Chinese medical history and medical literatures have been sponsored with about 200 trainees from the whole country. The Conventional project for continuing education on TCM , the Training Class for TCM Medical History and Medical Literature receives trainees every year.

4. Academic Cooperation and exchanges

Actively undertaking international academic exchanges, the Institute has so far dispatched 15 persons to the following countries and regions, viz. the US, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Switzerland and Brunei, as well as HongKong and Taiwan for giving lectures, performing collaboration and participating academic conferences. Several tens of scholars from the US, Japan, Germany, Israel and Republic of Korea visit the Institute for conducting lectures; To date, about 1,000 visitors visited the Museum. Exploitation of TCM products have been carried out with the corporation of domestic research institutions, and cooperations. Including Gongbao oral solution, Hcalth tea, medicinal wine and computer software for TCM, etc.

Address: No.18 Beixincang, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China

6th Floor, Big white building, China Academy of TCM.

Postal code: 100700

Tel. : (010)64013812, 64014411~3245

Fax : (010)64029974

E-mail : zyyyss@public.bta.net.cn