TOSHITAKA KOI
Masters of potions past
http://www.japantimes.co.jp
By YOKO HANI
Staff writer

Your interest may have been aroused by a friend's story of how, after
trying kanpo (Chinese herbal medicine), their pollen allergy has not
been so problematic this season. Or, on the other hand, you may have
been intrigued by magazine articles with eye-catching headlines
like "The Chinese medicine way to beauty."

Still, though, you may be wondering whether you can rely 100 percent
on this oriental medicine to treat your health problems, over and
above
widely recognized and highly developed Western medicine.

Though he practices traditional Chinese medicine himself, Toshitaka
Koi
readily agrees such skepticism is only natural, as much less is known
or
understood about kanpo than its Western counterpart.

Koi, who graduated from the University of Tokyo's department of
pharmacy, gained certification as a doctor of traditional Chinese
medicine from the Chinese government in 1998 after studying at the
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. In his view, both Western and
Chinese medicine are equally important in their appropriate,
respective
roles -- though he says there's an information gap to be filled on
the
oriental side.

To help bridge that gap, Koi is keen to talk to the public about
Chinese
medicine's approach to the human body and its view on health. In
March, Bungei Shunju published his book titled "Kanpo Bijin Koza
(Kanpo
beauty lecture)," in which he covers 28 conditions and their symptoms
from the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine.

Though the choice will always be the individual's as to which form of
medicine to turn to, in an interview at his Kofuku Yakkyoku (Pharmacy
of
Happiness) near JR Ebisu Station in Tokyo, Koi happily answered a
range of questions that may help in making that choice.

What is the key feature of Chinese medicine's approach to the human
body?

Western medicine observes and treats each part of the human body
separately and scientifically in a set way. Depending on the person's
symptoms, they see specialists in ophthalmology, otolaryngology,
internal medicine, surgery and so on. If you have eye troubles,
ophthalmologists will closely examine you and try to find the cause.
Medicine is then prescribed to treat each symptom directly.

Chinese medicine treats the human body as a whole. If a patient
complains of a problem in one part of their body, doctors of Chinese
medicine try to find out the underlying problem or problems that may
be
causing the problem. If a patient has eye trouble, I will ask about
any
other health problems they may have, such as sleep or menstrual
disorders, for example. Kanpo is then prescribed to cure
the "unbalanced" condition of the whole body, as well as the eye
problem itself.

You say both Chinese and Western medicine have their good points and
that we should make use of the two effectively. Could you explain
this a
little more?

If you compare a health problem to a fire, Western medicine is often
compared to firefighters or firefighting equipment. Chinese medicine,
on
the other hand, is compared to stopping the gas leak that caused the
fire.

In the case of a patient with atopic dermatitis, for instance, a
Western
medicinal ointment will work to cure the skin directly. Kanpo is
designed
to work on the causes of the problem, which are usually linked to the
malfunctioning of other parts of the body .

As a result, some people believe that kanpo may not cure the
condition
swiftly. But actually, in a case like this, both medicines should be
taken
wisely to make the most of their different features.

Can kanpo treat conditions that Western medicine does not clearly
categorize as sicknesses in themselves?

Yes. With minor skin problems, for example, you may be told at a
regular hospital something like: "These symptoms are not considered
an illness, so let's wait and see what happens." But Chinese medicine
doctors may suspect that something is wrong with your body and that
is
leading to the symptoms.

Chinese medicine is often said to be good at dealing with conditions
that
may be termed "half-sickness." That is a condition that is not yet
considered to be an illness, but which may lead to sickness if it is
left
untreated. In this respect, Chinese medicine has a character of
preventive medicine, as opposed to Western medicine which is good at
coping with troubles that have clearly shown themselves.

How many kinds of shoyaku (raw drugs) are normally used in a
patient's
prescription?

Kanpo (which is normally drunk as a kind of strong tea after being
boiled) is prescribed for each patient individually, using about
10-15
kinds of shoyaku out of about 300 in this pharmacy, for example.

Prescriptions differ depending on each patient even if they have the
same symptoms. The reason is that the causes of the symptom can be
different from person to person.

Counseling [diagnosis] is, therefore, important. I ask that each
patient
make an appointment, and I take 30 minutes to an hour for that.

Tell me about any side effects of Chinese medicine?

Another good thing about kanpo is that it has few side effects
because
the medicine is made of natural materials such as leaves and tree
roots.
If it is correctly prescribed, side effects scarcely occur.

Who are your typical patients?

The ratio of men and women is about the same. However, the ages of
female patients are more diversified -- from their teens to 50s -- as
opposed to male patients, who in most cases are in their 40s or older
when they knock on the door of the pharmacy. Many say that they have
tried Western medicine in the past, but have felt unsatisfied. Skin
problems, such as atopic dermatitis, are the most frequent cases.
Women's diseases and allergies such as hay fever are also common
complaints among my patients.

Is there any particular condition that seems to be becoming more
prevalent recently?

The number of patients with symptoms believed to be related to
various
stresses has been growing. Mental stresses cause stomach problems
for some and depression for others, for instance. Kanpo can play an
important role in healing these patients, because Chinese medicine
recognizes that the mind and body deeply interact with each other.