Obviously, the biggest dividing line in logical thinking between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine consists in epistemology. Traditional Chinese medicine looks upon the whole universe as one organism; and since the universe is an organism, all things in it are related to each other without exception by being interdependent, mutually restraining, balanced and in harmony. Owing to the fact that man is also looked upon as a "universe", though on a small scale, the view is entertained that between the internal organs of the human body there also exist the requirement for equilibrium between yin and yang and the phenomenon of mutual reinforcement and mutual neutralization. Traditional Chinese medicine, having gone through a process of development of thousands of years, has succeeded in sublimating from an empirical type of medicine to a systematic one with its unique and peculiar theory and its complete and comprehensive methodology. It is the embodiment of the typical Eastern mode of thinking.
According to traditional Chinese medical practitioners' understanding of the human body, a girl reaches puberty at the age of 14 while a boy does so at 16. Then they arrive at the summit of sexual maturity respectively at the age of 28 (for the female) and 32 (for the male). After that, their physical strength descends with the increase in age. The so-called exercise for people of the right age is no other than physical exercise within measure for a certain age group in terms of strenuosity and amount. It should be kept in mind that the aim of taking physical exercises for aging people is, in the eyes of traditional Chinese medical practitioners, not to train their bodies, but to preserve their health. This is also the case with the restraint of the sexual affair. When a woman has reached 42 in age and when a man has become 48 years old, their physiological functions will begin to decline; therefore, they should rein in their sexual desire, so as to avoid too heavy a drain on their strength.
Traditional Chinese medical practitioners attach comparatively great importance to the "science of health preservation". They are of the opinion that "the imperative job is to cope with a disease before it occurs." Wouldn't the result of so doing be more satisfying and more perfect than any effect that may be achieved by attending to the illness after it has arisen? The oft-told "prevention is better than cure" is what is remarkable as a national trait of the Chinese people.
