World Integrated Medicine Master Wu Xianzhong

Zou Jinhu (鄒建華), Co Xixi (曹惜惜), Zhou Ajin (周阿劍)

aCenter for Translation, World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, Beijing 100101, China

bBeijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China

INTRODUCTION OF WU XIANZHONG

Academician Wu Xianzhong (born on August 28th, 1925) graduated from Shenyang Medical College in 1948. In 1959, he participated in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) courses held by Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for doctors of western medicine. In 1961, he graduated and was awarded the golden medal by National Health Commission. He has been specialized in surgery of integrated Chinese and western medicine since the early 1960s and works as one of the pioneers in the field of integrated Chinese and western medicine in China. He established Tianjin Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine and the Institute of Acute Abdominal Diseases in Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. From 1964 to 1977, he served as Director of Nankai Hospital. From 1978 to 1994, he served as Deputy Director, Director and Honorary President of Tianjin Medical College (known as Tianjin Medical University nowadays).

Professor Wu has guaranteed the leading position of the integration of Chinese and western medicine in the treatment of acute abdominal diseases with the scientific combination of the advantages of the 2 methods. He made systematic exploration of the theoretical system of acute abdominal diseases and achieved remarkable results. He published more than 100 academic papers at home and abroad, and participated in the compilation of 18 monographs, among which New Study of Acute Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Surgery Practices are the authoritative works in this subject. His research results have won awards by National Health Commission, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for more than 10 times and he has also won Tianjin Science and Technology Achievement Award.

Professor Wu visited and lectured in many coutries, such as Japan, the United States, Italy, France, Germany, the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, etc. He has trained hundreds of students of integrated Chinese and western medicine, including 19 doctors, more than 20 masters and 10 foreign advanced students. He is an outstanding expert in general surgery and integrated Chinese and western medicine in China, and has been awarded Tianjin Model Worker and Special Model Worker for 6 times.

Professor Wu is one of the members of the International Society of Surgery, the Advisory Panel of Experts on Traditional Medicine of World Health Organization (WHO), and the Discipline Appraisal Group of the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council. He is also Vice President of the Chinese Medical Association, President of Tianjin Medical Association, Honorary President of Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine, Vice President of Tianjin Science and Technology Association, Visiting Professor of Cleveland Clinic, and Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is also one of the first batch of National TCM Masters and the academic successor of National Intangible Cultural Heritage (TCM).

CHRONICLE OF EVENTS

On August 28th, 1925, he was born in Xinmin County, Liaoning Province.

In 1943, he graduated from Xinmin State College.

In 1948, he graduated from Manchuria Medical University (known as China Medical University nowadays).

In July 1948, he was a resident surgeon in Tianjin General Hospital (known as General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University nowadays).

In July 1952, he was appointed attending doctor of the Department of Surgeon and lecturer of surgery in Tianjin General Hospital.

In July 1956, he was appointed as Associate Director of Department of Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Medical College.

From February 1959 to September 1961, he participated in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) courses held by Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for doctors of western medicine.

In November 1962, he was appointed as an Associate Professor of Surgery in Tianjin Medical College.

From December 1964 to December 1977, he was the President of Nankai Hospital and he held a concurrent post as the Director of the Department of Surgery.

In May 1975, he established theInstitute of Acute Abdominal Diseases in Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine and served as the Director.

From January 1978 to June 1983, he was the Vice President of Tianjin Medical College and Director of the Institute of Acute Abdominal Diseases in Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine.

In April 1979, he was appointed as the Professor of Surgery at Tianjin Medical College.

In June 1984, he was appointed as the President of Tianjin Medical College.

In 1989, he was elected as the Vice President of Chinese Medical Association, the President of Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine and thePresident of Tianjin Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Vice President of Tianjin Science and Technology Association.

In 1996, he was elected as the Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering.

In 1998 he established Tianjin Institute of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine.

In 2009, he was selected as one of the first batch of National TCM Masters.

EXPERIENCES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Professor Wu Xianzhong was born in Xinmin County, Liaoning Province on August 28th, 1925. His ancestors were manchu bannermen, but then the family's fortune declined. His grandfather was a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty who taught at an old-style private school for living. His father first taught in the primary school in Xinmin County after graduating from the normal school and then was admitted to the higher normal school. After graduation, he became a county school teacher and director of the institute of education in the county. Professor Wu said he grew up in an atmosphere of strict domestic disciplines. His father held a firm conviction of Confucianism and advocated feudal ethical codes, and in his whole life penetrated the golden mean of the Confucian School. His father named him Xianzhong (Xianzhong means always following the "golden mean") to stimulate him to act according to the doctrine of mean all the time.

In a period of tangled warfare among warlords when the country was faced with domestic trouble and foreign invasion, Professor Wu's father was determined to train his children for practicing medicine to help people in public and sent them to college using economy in buying foods and clothes. Professor Wu was the youngest in the family. Both of his brothers Dr. Wu Zhizhong, the eldest, and Dr. Wu Yingkai graduated from Xiaoheyan Medical College (also known as China Medical University nowadays) in Shenyang and studied abroad in Britain and America and they all became famous doctors. It was mainly the influence of his brothers that rendered Professor Wu Xianzhong determined to study medicine. They told him many times about the school motto of "not to order, but to serve" of Xiaoheyan Medical College to stimulate Professor Wu to study medicine. Professor Wu appreciated their achievements and hoped to emulate his brothers' accomplishments in medicine and serving the country. In 1943, Professor Wu Xianzhong was admitted to Manchuria Medical College with excellent grades. In the years of territory loss and nation mortification, Professor Wu sought solace in academic progress where he turned his passion for the country and people into the firm will to study. He started his internship in the autumn of 1947 in the Department of Surgery of Tianjin Central Hospital (also known as General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University nowadays) where he started his medical career after graduation in 1948 due to his outstanding performance in the internship and worked for 17 years from attending doctor to associate director and to associate professor. With the guidance and assistance of Professor Yu Songting, who was a famous surgeon, Professor Wu developed rapidly and made unremitting explorations in general surgery and vascular surgery.

He joined the medical team in the war to resist U.S. aggression and aid North Korean in 1950. In 1951, he was awarded the Second-class Model of Medical Workers of Tianjin and he was awarded Special Model Worker of Tianjin in 1953. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1954. In 1956, he was promoted to associate director of the Department of Surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Medical College to assist Professor Yu Songting in the management of surgery at the age of 31 years old. He was then known as one of the "three scalpels" in Tianjin medical field. With solid basic theory, rich clinical experiences, and an agile mind, he is also proficient in operations and is good at summarizing. In recent years, he has published more than 10 papers in Chinese Journal of Surgery, such as Treatment of Severe Toxic Shock, Arterial Embolism, and Excision of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Allogeneic Vascular Transplantation, which have won attention and acclaim of Chinese experts.

On October 11, 1958, Chairman Mao made important instructions to the field of health: "I think if we could run a two-year course of TCM for western doctors with 70-80 people in each class in every province, city and autonomous region in 1958, in the winter of 1960 or in the spring of 1961, we would have about 2,000 doctors of integrated Chinese and western medicine, among whom there might be several brilliant theorists." As a result, an upsurge of learning TCM among western doctors appeared in the whole country. Therefore, when he just cut a striking figure in the field of general surgery and vascular surgery, he responded to the call of the CPC Party and devoted himself to the cause of integration of Chinese and western medicine.

In early 1959, Professor Wu Xianzhong participated in the second phase of TCM courses held by Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for doctors of western medicine. During the two and a half years, he studied with a receptive mind and dived into the study of TCM and learned from others' strengths. He systematically studied TCM classics, such as Huangdi's Canon of Medicine and Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases. He also made trips to Cangzhou and Tianjin General Hospital 2 times for clinical research of the treatment of vasculitis and acute abdominal diseases in integrated Chinese and western medicine. He also published papers on Chinese Journal of Surgery, including Application of Purgation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Comprehensive Treatment of Modern Surgery, Preliminary Report of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Acute Perforation of Ulcerative Diseases, Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Acute Intestinal Obstruction, and Discussion on Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Acute Appendicitis, etc., which set a precedent for the treatment of acute abdominal diseases by the integrated Chinese and western medicine. At that time, reports of the successful treatment of acute abdominal diseases and bone fracture in the integration of Chinese and western medicine were praised as "two red flowers" in medical field of Tianjin.

In September 1961, Professor Wu graduated from the TCM courses and got the following comments. In terms of TCM theory, "he can scientifically combine TCM theory with clinical syndrome differentiation and get enlightenment from classical literature". In terms of treatment based on syndrome differentiation, "he can make accurate differentiation like the judge settles a lawsuit, and prescribe like skilled craftsman makes a wheel, which deserves praise". In terms of clinical practices of TCM, "he can make rigorous research, grasp the essence of TCM, and motivate his classmates". Generally speaking, "he can make accurate differentiation about symptoms and root cause from the complex syndromes and know clearly the order of treatment". He is also familiar with TCM theory and takes every possible factor into consideration when prescribing, from which it can be concluded that he has learned a lot from assiduous study. Among the 95 graduates, he was the only one that received the golden medal and certificate awarded by Director Li Dequan of Ministry of Health.

Professor Wu concluded his medical experiences of the integrated Chinese and western medicine into 4 stages:

The first stage, from the early 1960s to the late 1970s, was the exploratory stage. In 1962, Doctor Wu Xianzhong was promoted to associate professor of surgery at the age of 37 years old. At that time, he was the youngest associate professor of Tianjin Medical College. In addition to continuing the research on the treatment of acute abdominal diseases with integrated Chinese and western medicine in the Department of Surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Medical College, he also established a clinical research base in Nankai Hospital. He traveled between the 2 hospitals every week, doing clinical work while continuing to study the literature of traditional Chinese medicine. In 1964, he was officially transferred to Nankai Hospital as president and he held a concurrent post as Director of Department of Surgery. With all of his efforts devoted to the cause of treating acute abdominal diseases with integrated Chinese and western medicine, he formulated development plans, established experimental research institutions, and trained the backbone of integrated Chinese and western medicine, making Nankai Hospital rapidly develop into the first clinical research base of integrated Chinese and western medicine in China.

During the Great Cultural Revolution, the cause of integrated Chinese and western medicine witnessed a severe decline. In February 1971, during his attendance at the National Conference on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, he was warmly received and encouraged by Premier Zhou Enlai. His selflessness contributed a lot to restoration of the vitality of the research of acute abdominal diseases with the integrated Chinese and western medicine. From the spring of 1971 to Tangshan Earthquake of 1976, he successively held 9 national courses on the treatment of acute abdominal diseases with integrated Chinese and western medicine. He trained nearly 300 students who formed the technical backbone, some of whom have become leaders in this field. In May 1975, he founded Institute of Acute Abdominal Diseases in Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. He advocated the establishment of a nationwide collaborative network for the study of acute abdominal diseases with integrated Chinese and western medicine. He established Communication of Acute Abdominal Diseases with Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine with Zunyi Medical College, organized national academic conferences, carried out international academic exchanges and cooperation, and published monographs such as New Study of Acute Abdominal Diseases and Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for Acute Abdominal Diseases, which rendered the treatment of acute abdominal diseases with integrated Chinese and western medicine the most active and fruitful fields of clinical study of integrated Chinese and western medicine.

In the 1980s, as the 2ndstage, when Ministry of Health set the direction for integrated Chinese and western medicine, a hospital of integrated Chinese and western medicine was established in Nankai Hospital with improved working conditions, which was the second stage of integrated Chinese and western medicine with a promising future. In 1978, Professor Wu Xianzhong was transferred to Tianjin Medical College as vice president, and he still held the concurrent post as the director of Institute of Acute Abdominal Diseases in Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. In 1979, he was promoted to professor of surgery. In 1984, he was appointed president of Tianjin Medical College. In 1984, he was approved to be a doctoral supervisor in clinical (acute abdominal diseases) integration of Chinese and western medicine.

Since 1989, as the 3rdstage, the discipline of integrated Chinese and western medicine has been appraised as a key discipline by the State Education Commission, which combines the research of traditional Chinese medicine with the construction of key disciplines. It was essential to have a decent team, a leader, backbone and a laboratory to build a discipline, which was the third stage of development. In 1989, Professor Wu was elected Vice President of Chinese Medical Association, President of Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine, President of Tianjin Branch of Chinese Medical Association and Vice President of Tianjin Science and Technology Association. The clinical (acute abdominal diseases) discipline of integrated Chinese and western medicine led by Professor Wu was first approved as a national key discipline by the State Education Commission in 1989. Professor Wu Xianzhong has been awarded Tianjin Labor Model and Special Labor Model for many times. He has been successively elected as a representative from the 10thto the 13thNational Congresses of the Communist Party of China. Professor Wu Xianzhong is a member of International Society of Surgery and is employed by World Health Organization as a member of the Advisory Panel of Experts on Traditional Medicine.

In the late 1990s, as the 4thstage, when the conditions were improved continuously, not only the undergraduate resident doctors, but also postgraduates and doctoral students could be trained, and connection was built with foreign countries as well, which was the fourth stage, a higher level of development. Professor Wu has been invited to give lectures to Pakistan, Japan, the United States, Germany, Italy and France on many occasions for his achievements in integrated Chinese and western medicine. He was also Visiting Professor of Cleveland Clinic of the United States and the Governor of Kentucky has awarded him a knight's badge.

Out of 5 children in Professor Wu's family, except that his third brother learned agriculture, 4 of them pursued a career in medicine, 2 of whom are academicians, which is astonishing. Both his brothers Dr. Wu Zhizhong, the eldest, and Dr. Wu Yingkai graduated from Xiaoheyan Medical College in Shenyang and studied abroad in Britain and America and they all became famous doctors. Dr. Wu Zhizhong is the founder and pioneer of the study of occupational diseases in modern China, while Dr. Wu Yingkai, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a world-renowned leading authority of medicine who is not only the founder of cardiovascular surgery in China, but also established Fuwai Hospital and Beijing Anzhen Hospital. Professor Wu Xianzhong has also become a senior academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering. His achievements in the treatment of acute abdominal diseases with the integration of Chinese and western medicine has made him one of the most famous medical experts at home and abroad. He is also known as "Three Wu of the North" in the medical field together with Dr. Wu Zhizhong and Dr. Wu Yingkai.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO INTEGRATED CHINESE AND WESTERN MEDICINE

Professor Wu Xianzhong took the lead in proposing that "method" was an important link in TCM "principle, method, recipe, and medicines". It was important to grasp "method" for tracing back to "principle" and for prescribing a "recipe", which was a breakthrough in theoretical research and produced practical therapeutic effects. Under the guidance of this idea, he led researchers systematically study the representative prescriptions, drug combination, and single drug of the "Eight Methods for the Treatment of Acute Abdominal Diseases" with modern medical methods, and clarified its mechanism, which promoted the understanding of the essence of TCM theory, and the theoretical integration of Chinese and western medicine. For example, experimental studies have shown that the method of dredging and purgation can increase peristalsis, secretion and blood flow of the intestines to improve intestinal blood supply; can reduce capillary permeability and inflammatory exudation to limit the spread of inflammatory lesions; can promote blood absorption in the abdominal cavity and prevent intestinal adhesion; can promote bile secretion and have diuretic effect; and can inhibit bacterial growth. The method of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis can increase intestinal blood flow, improve microcirculation and blood viscosity, promote absorption of peritoneal exudate, and reduce capillary permeability. Such systematic studies not only theoretically explain the mechanism of each method, but also guide and expand the clinical application of each method. The idea of grasping "method" for tracing back to "principle" has made a breakthrough for the theoretical research on the treatment of acute abdominal diseases with integrated Chinese and western medicine, and is playing an increasingly important role of guidance.

Professor Wu Xianzhong used modern medicine not only to explain the ancient recipes in Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases 2000 years ago, but also to solve difficult problems that western medicine could hardly overcome.

For example, non-surgical treatment of acute abdominal diseases with traditional Chinese medicine had obvious advantages that not only patients recovered very quickly, but the postoperative complications were reduced. For instance, once there was disagreement among the experts over the treatment of the secretary of municipal Party committee of Guanghzhou who were suffering from colon cancer and had serious abdominal distension 6 days after surgery. Some held the opinion that it was peritonitis and immediate surgery was needed, while some argued that artificial anus was needed. However, Professor Wu Xianzhong said: "It is not intestinal obstruction. It is that the surgical anastomosis is exposed. The gas in the intestines runs to the abdominal cavity and causes pneumoperitoneum, but there is no peritonitis. Pass this gas out, and treat according to the treatment of perforated peptic ulcer, then surgery is avoided and the patient will be cured." Other experts had been dubious until the symptom of abdominal distension disappeared immediately after peritoneocentesis and the patient recovered completely after acupuncture according to the treatment of perforated peptic ulcer. Professor Wu Xianzhong's secret was to use the dredging and purgation method in Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases.

On the basis of accurate diagnosis in western medicine, 70% to 80% of patients can be spared from surgery for simple intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, and perforated peptic ulcer with traditional Chinese medicine. Even that it was previously infallible law that immediate surgery was needed once the acute abdominal disease was diagnosed, Professor Wu Xianzhong changed the stereotypes that traditional Chinese medicine had slow efficacy and could only cure chronic diseases through his efforts.

Professor Wu Xianzhong believed that traditional Chinese medicine, western medicine, and integrated Chinese and western medicine should be coordinated like the cooperation among forces from land, sea, and air instead of forming a situation of tripartite confrontation. The treatment of acute abdominal diseases established by Professor Wu was included into the "Five Leading Medical Program in China" by WHO, as a result of which he was awarded as the leader of the cause of integrated Chinese and western medicine in China.

In order to investigate the status of integrated Chinese and western medicine, from 1982 to 1983, Professor Wu Xianzhong took the lead in organizing the research team to visit dozens of institutions of integrated Chinese and western medicine in more than a dozen provinces and cities across the country, and wrote a detailed survey report on the necessity and feasibility of integrated Chinese and western medicine and the status of the teams and institutions of integrated Chinese and western medicine. In the report, he put forward a sentence that was of significance: "Traditional Chinese medicine, western medicine, and integrated Chinese and western medicine should be coordinated like the cooperation among forces from land, sea, and air instead of forming a situation of tripartite confrontation." This metaphor handled complicated situations with ease and pointed out the direction for the integration of Chinese and western medicine in times of crisis.

After many years of efforts, the cause of integrated Chinese and western medicine has been growing, and gained international recognition. Professor Wu's proficiency in treating acute abdominal diseases with integrated Chinese and western medicine have long been known at home and abroad. In 1982, World Health Organization announced 5 leading medical programs in China including integrated Chinese and western medicine for acute abdominal diseases, acupuncture anesthesia, integrated Chinese and western medicine for fractures, replantation of severed limbs, and treatment of burns, as a result of which he was awarded as the leader of the cause of integrated Chinese and western medicine in China.

Professor Wu Xianzhong has trained 3 postdoctoral fellows, more than 30 doctors, and 48 masters, and constructed a reasonably-structured clinical team of integrated Chinese and western medicine. Most of them have become academic leaders and technical backbone in the field of integrated Chinese and western medicine, such as Professor Lu Huanzhang, one of the founders of minimally invasive surgery in China.

In 1991, after he retired from the post of president of Tianjin Medical College, he devoted more time to the integration of Chinese and western medicine. He proposed to challenge acute severe pancreatitis and acute severe cholangitis, 2 internationally recognized surgical difficulties, with integrated Chinese and western medicine, and successfully reduced the mortality rate of severe pancreatitis from 30% to 15% and reduced the mortality rate of severe cholangitis from 20% to 2%. In 2003, Professor Wu Xianzhong won the second prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award for his research on the method of dredging and purgation.

Over the past 50 years, he has won numerous awards, presided over and participated in a lot of national key scientific and technological projects and major scientific research projects in provinces and municipalities. He has won more than 20 awards for scientific and technological achievements at or above the municipal level, published more than 300 papers and edited 15 monographs.

PRINCIPLES OF LIFE

Professor Wu Xianzhong was a successful medical scientist who also fully demonstrated his talents of leadership. Generally he would prepare his own manuscript for speech reports, and those written by others would be carefully scrutinized and sometimes rewritten by him since he took the leadership role. He united a group of people and achieved remarkable results in the comprehensive reform of the college in the pilot unit to implement the responsibility system of the president. The scale of school expanded to 3,000, and the conditions were improved significantly. And the school had achieved its peak time since the establishment in terms of teaching, scientific research, medical care, communication and cooperation. He was praised for his administrative competence and work efficiency, but he was never self-conceited. He often warned himself that his career was unfinished and he still needed to work hard. Every time he communicated with his colleagues, he repeatedly made the following promises. First, he must continue to cultivate talents who are not only highly skilled in medicine, but also lead a moral life. Second, he must continue to be a good counselor and provide advices for academic leaders who are at the forefront of work. Third, he is willing to play a small but significant role and work for the improvement of academic conditions. That's what he said and what he keeps doing.

Professor Wu pinned more hope on the younger generation. He took out the books he had collected for many years to set up book corners for graduate students and surgeons, and bought a unit room on the outskirts of the city where they could study, ponder and write. He brought back six professional books from his journey to the U.S. to visit his relatives and asked them to study and make book reports respectively after he made demonstrations for the first report. He still insisted on the system of making rounds of the wards on Saturdays even the two-day weekend has been widely accepted. He also made full use of the conditions of the Institute of Acute Abdominal Diseases to establish computer room, reading room, office, and lecture hall for young doctors.

Professor Wu Xianzhong said: "In front of the patient, I am a doctor whose responsibility is to practice medicine and serve the patient without striving for rewards. In front of the students, I am a teacher whose responsibility is to teach based on my deeds rather than words. In front of the organization, I am a party member whose responsibility to abide by the party constitution and devote myself to the cause." Anyone who is familiar with Professor Wu Xianzhong can correctly repeat his quote. Perhaps it is these words that stimulate Professor Wu to make a successful career.

Professor Wu Xianzhong, from a family of Confucianism, loved ancient Chinese proses and poems and songs since childhood. With profound literary accomplishment, he also has a keen interest in history and philosophy. He has an agile and poetic mind, and often writes down his feelings. For example, at the end of 1990, he wrote a poem for the publication of the second edition of Abdominal Surgery Practices:

Nearly seven years at the desk,

With tons of materials at my hand.

In bitter winters,

I enjoyed snowflakes dancing in the wind.

In intense heat of summer,

I viewed sweating a way to relax.

Taking essence from home and abroad,

Integrating all the aspirations into the profound paper.

Now aged and knowing that my time was short,

I wish the descendants prevail over the predecessors.

Academician Wu Xianzhong not only showed his integrity as a doctor, but also organized famous medical scientists in China to jointly initiate the formulation of the "Convention of Doctors" and led his students to issue a proposal to resist "red envelopes". He also donated nearly 800,000 yuan of all the rewards he had received to medicine and public welfares, which demonstrated the nobility of his character as a learned scholar and a respected doctor.

Professor Wu Xianzhong is known for his humor. There is an old saying that failure is the mother of success. And when the experimental research of integrated Chinese and western medicine was in the exploration stage full of difficulties in the early years, he went to the laboratory and asked, "Is today a success, or is it the mother of success?" He amused everyone and made them forget the exhaustion and frustration of the work. In recent years, he has received a variety of awards, and he joked: "It seems that only longevity can stand the test of honor."

Professor Wu Xianzhong has been engaged in the integration of Chinese and western medicine for more than 50 years. Although he has held leading positions in many positions, he has never left the cause of integration of Chinese and western medicine. Every time when there is a meeting, his old friends will ask: "How is your integration of Chinese and western medicine? And where have you reached?" He will smile and reply, "Still working."

Professor Wu Xianzhong spared no effort for half a century only for the integration of Chinese and western medicine. The greatest wish of his is that the integration of Chinese and western medicine will continue to flourish and benefit the people.

THE MOST ADMIRED PERSON—PREMIER ZHOU ENLAI

Professor Wu Xianzhong got acquainted with Premier Zhou in 1971. At that time, Professor Wu was the director of Nankai Hospital and had been put in confinement in the Great Cultural Revolution for several years. He suddenly received an exciting message that he would take part in the first National Conference on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine as a representative. At the meeting, Premier Zhou asked Professor Wu Xianzhong to come to the rostrum and sit next to him, inquiring about his experiences in treating acute abdominal diseases.

Premier Zhou asked: "What kind of diseases can you cure? Have you ever treated pancreatitis? Can you prescribe it?" Professor Wu Xianzhong said confidently: "I can." Premier Zhou asked again: "How is your popularizing of the treatment?" He said: "We tried but it is not enough." The Premier said: "Then it is not because you are conservative, but you haven't tried to popularize." It was Premier Zhou who saved the critical situation of the cause of integrated Chinese and western medicine. Professor Wu Xianzhong always remembers the encouragement and entrustment of Premier Zhou to him as an eternal driving force for the development of integrated Chinese and western medicine.

However, what Professor Wu Xianzhong did not expect was that after 5 years, he could use the integration of Chinese and western medicine to relieve the pain for the Premier Zhou. "I was called to Beijing at the last moment of Premier Zhou's life", he said. That night, Premier Zhou had not had defecation for many days and turned better after a prescription by Professor Wu. The next day, Mr. Deng Xiaoping came to pay a visit, to whom Mrs. Deng Yingchao happily said that the bowel was relaxed thanks to prescription by Doctor Wu using the method of dredging and purgation. Mr. Deng Xiaoping told Professor Wu Xianzhong: "The method of dredging and purgation is very effective, which should be summed up." That was the method used to maintain Premier Zhou's life in the last 18 days of his life...Speaking here, two lines of clear tears have slipped silently along Professor Wu's cheek.

It was Premier Zhou that invited Professor Wu who had been put into confinement for more than 4 years to Beijing. And it was Premier Zhou who had brought new hope to the stagnant situation of the integrated Chinese and western medicine. As the only and most professional doctor of integrated Chinese and western medicine, Professor Wu Xianzhong waited by Premier Zhou's side until the last moment of his life.

In the most eye-catching position in Professor Wu Xianzhong's home hangs an extremely precious photo, which records the scene in 1976 when the members of Premier Zhou's medical team bid farewell to Premier Zhou. In the medical team, Professor Wu is the only doctor who specializes in the integration of Chinese and western medicine.

"Premier Zhou is the person that I admire the most. It is also the glory of my life to be able to treat him." Tears were found flashing in Professor Wu Xianzhong's eyes. Although it has been more than 30 years since then, he always feels that Premier Zhou is still around.

After Premier Zhou had passed away, Mrs. Deng Yingchao sent some photos to Professor Wu Xianzhong as a souvenir. In his study hangs a picture of Premier Zhou. "Whenever I look up to Premier Zhou's kind face, I will think of Premier Zhou's affirmation and encouragement for the integration of Chinese and western medicine, which encourages me to move on." Professor Wu Xianzhong said feelingly.

HEALTH MAINTENANCE: CONTENTED MIND IS A PERPETUAL FEAST

Professor Wu is already 94 years old, but he is feisty as ever, and shows no sign of aging. When it comes to health maintenance, he said that emphasis should be placed upon one's mind, which is to regulate the seven emotions, preserve the essence and qi, abstain from sexual desires, protect the spleen and stomach, have a good diet, and exercise to a proper level. These are the rules for health maintenance.

"People's health is affected by many factors, among which personal life and psychological state have the greatest impact, accounting for about 60%. Other factors such as parental genetics, climate, and social factors only account for 15%, 7%, and 10% respectively." Professor Wu Xianzhong said that health and longevity is a common wish that people may achieve. The key lies in keeping yourself healthy and away from sub-health and unhealthy conditions. With a healthy mind, you can overcome external factors. Therefore, people should consciously maintain a good mind state of disease-free and energetic to master the 3 major elements of maintaining a healthy state.

Professor Wu Xianzhong explained the secret of realizing 3 major elements. He pointed out that it is believed in TCM that one should "follow the rules of yin and yang and adjust the ways to cultivate health, be moderate in eating and drinking, be regular in working and resting, avoid any overstrain; and avoid deficiencyevil and thief-wind in good time and keep the mind free from avarice. In this way, health qi in the body will be in harmony, essence-spirit will remain inside, and diseases will have no way to occur"[1], which is in fact basically consistent with the "four cornerstones of health and longevity" proposed by the international medical community in recent years. Simply speaking, people should have a reasonable diet, do proper exercise, quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption, and keep a balanced psychological state. More specifically, it is necessary to achieve "four highs" (high protein, high vitamins, high cellulose, and high trace elements) and "four lows" (low fat, low sugar, low salt, and low cholesterol) in daily diet; they must be diligent and persevere in sports; they must develop good living habits, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, etc.; they must also treat the reality correctly, and they can regulate their own emotions and help others to be happy.

Professor Wu Xianzhong proposed that Baduanjin is a good choice for the elderly as the history has proved that it can help prevent diseases and make the elderly healthy and live a longer life.

Over the years, Professor Wu Xianzhong has worked tirelessly and diligently. He often warns himself and others: "One should never chase after fame, and with great prestige comes more modesty; nothing comes easily in science, and hard work should be paid." Professor Wu Xianzhong, who is already in his eighties, said he paid much emphasis on time. His always follows his own rules to work: "finish two-year work in one year, divide a day to three units, and work half day in holiday." He started to walk half day only after he was over 80.

Every day, he excerpts from newspapers and magazines of higher medical education and medical research. Every week, he has three and a half days of medical rounds. Every semester, he teaches surgery and medical history. Every year, he recruits graduate students and foreign trainees. Every year, he requires monographs or papers to be published. Most of his work is done in the evening or in the holidays over the years. He still works diligently in the garden of integrated Chinese and western medicine with great efforts. He thinks it is work that makes him young and lives a long life.