1 . People in Australia have been really cautious about using natural or alternative treatments compared to other places, according to Dr. Paul Laver, a professor at the University of Sydney. He thinks this is because doctors in Australia have always been very powerful, and they are unwilling to let others take their place. In many other countries, regular treatments and these alternative treatments have worked closely together for a long time. For example, in Germany, medicines made from plants account for 10%of the country’s medicine sales. In the United States, more people visited these alternative therapists (治疗专家) than regular doctors in 1990.

During the past 20 years, more people in Australia have started to like these alternative treatments. In a 1983 national health survey, 1.9% of people say they had contacted alternative therapists like chiropractors or herbalists. By 1990, this figure had risen to 2.6% of the population. Rather than criticizing this trend, increasing numbers of doctors in Australia, especially the younger ones, are starting to work with alternative therapists or take courses themselves, particularly in acupuncture and herbalism. Part of the motivation was financial, Dr Laver said. The bottom line is that most doctors don’t want to lose patients. If they see potential patients going elsewhere, they might want to be able to offer a similar service.

In 1993, Dr. Laver did a survey in Sydney and found that people who went to alternative health therapists were usually those who hadn’t been helped much by regular medicine. These people liked the holistic approach of their alternative therapists, and the friendly, concerned and detailed attention they had received, which they didn’t always get from regular doctors.

The survey suggested that people visited alternative therapists for various problems like muscle pains, stomach issues, and emotional stress etc. It suggested that calling it “complementary medicine” might be better because people use it alongside regular medicine, d especially when regular medicine doesn’t seem to help.

The centuries-old traditional Chinese medicine scraping (刮) massage, gua sha, has become a fashion among young people on the mainland! who show off the bruises (淤青) it creates.

    1     the youth lifestyle social media platform, a young woman using the account name @hua posted pictures of herself wearing a T-shirt, in which she showed her bruises and described them as “cool”. She is one of many who regard gua sha as an efficient way to ease muscle pains and    2     (tired).

Many shared     3     (they) gua sha experiences and tips, such as using homemade scraping tools and different meridians (经脉) on the body to relax.

The meridians     4     (translate) from jing mai in Chinese, refer to paths through which the life energy     5     (flow) in the body and to organs.

The practice, also known as scraping and coining, is     6     exceptional form of traditional Chinese massage (按摩) that uses a small and flat tool to scrape the surface of skin along the meridians,     7     (leave) red bruising as a sign of released toxins.

The folk-treatment     8     originated in ancient China has enjoyed huge popularity among the older generation. The treatment is used for     9     (condition) considered not serious enough to go to hospital, according to an article in the magazine Sanlian Life Lab.

Some describe gua sha as “the Chinese way to cure the stress from the workplace” saying the pain and stress that     10     (bring) by a session bear more pleasure than parties or a weekend at the seaside.

Incense (香) boasts a long history,    1    its roots in many cultures-ancient China, ancient Egypt, Babylon and beyond. People from all walks of life benefit from its countless qualities, whether they use it for pleasure    2    as medicine.

Since the Tang and Song dynasties, burning incense, hanging paintings, making tea, and enjoying music have been known as the “four arts for literati (文人)”.    3    (make) from seeds, leaves and flowers, incense has been used as an enjoyable     4    (pursue) for scholars.

Moreover, medical incense is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which considers preventative healthcare as     5    far superior form of treatment when illness strikes.

    6    (basic), medical incense can kill bacteria in the environment, protecting people against infections. It is also believed     7    (possess) the ability to balance the flow of Qi, a vital energy force within the body. Once the medical elements within incense are breathed in, they soon find    8    (they) way into the bloodstream. From there they go directly to the organs    9    treatment assistance is needed. The specific types of incense    10    (choose) based on the individual’s condition, aiming to restore balance and promote well-being.

5 . Occasionally, doctors become patients too. While I wouldn’t wish ill-health on anyone, it can be an inspiring lesson for medical professionals to suddenly be on the other side.

This happened to me a few months ago when I had a kidney stone, which had decided to make its unwelcome presence known in a rather romantic fashion just as I was going out for dinner. The pain came from absolutely nowhere but within minutes I was incapacitated. I was quite taken aback by how astonishingly painful it was.

As a doctor, I initially refused to believe that anything was seriously wrong, because I have witnessed countless individuals come to the emergency room convinced they are dying only for nothing more than trapped wind and then creep (蹑手蹑脚) out as they burp (打嗝) loudly and the pain disappears. However, the unbearable pain continued to exist, forcing me to acknowledge that this was indeed more than just a stubborn burp,

I was particularly pleased to read afterwards in a medical textbook that renal colic, as the pain is known, is the “most painful event a person can endure, often described as being worse than childbirth”. It’s no wonder chronic (慢性的) pain drives people mad. While doctors talk about pain and its management, it’s hard to put into words how exhausting it really is until you’ve experienced it for yourself.

During my time in hospital, I interacted with numerous doctors, each exhibiting professionalism and kindness but one stuck out in my mind. He was actually the most junior of them all, but something about his manner was incredibly calming and comforting. Whenever he came to my bed to speak to me, he knelt down so he was at my eye level. This simple act rid me of the stress that other healthcare professionals unintentionally projected. Just kneeling down made all the difference.

Experiencing the role reversal of doctor-turned-patient provided me with profound insights into the realities of pain and effective patient care.

9 . A new medicine developed in China has been recently introduced, which is expected to significantly enhance the prevention and control of malaria in Africa. Compared with the previous medicines, this latest medicine is not only more efficient but also easier to administer. Its introduction is anticipated to result in a sharp decline in the number of deaths caused by malaria.

In case studies conducted in Kenya, second-generation artesunate(青蒿琥酯) for injection, developed by Chinese medicine company Fosun Pharma, has proved highly effective in treating severe malaria in children, Kenyan health experts said.

In addition, the new drug—produced under the brand name Argesun—can be easier and faster to prepare, and safer to inject, than its previous generation, which was produced under the name Artesun, and which was widely used in dozens of countries for more than10 years.

“We think that this is a very good development. It is really going to cut our rate of deaths and also the complications caused by malaria,” Walter Otieno said, a Kenyan Medical researcher.

Argesun was pre-qualified by the World Health Organization in June and has been registered in 18 African countries, according to Fosun Pharma.

Both Artesun and Argesun are innovative antimalarial drugs based on artemisinin (青蒿素), which was discovered by Nobel Prize winner Tu Youyou in the 1970s,and which has made significant contributions to malaria control and prevention in the world during the past two decades.

Wu Yifang, chairman of Fosun Pharma, said the company recognized the strategic value of antimalarial drugs based on artemisinin and restructured its sub company Guilin Pharmaceutical in 2004 to start introducing the drugs to the international market. Its first antimalarial drug entered Africa in 2007,and the company launched a training program for front-line medical workers in Africa in 2014.

“To win the battle against malaria, we have to get rid of it worldwide,” Wu said, adding that the company is pushing to transform its antimalarial drugs from “made in China and used in Africa” to “made in Africa and used in Africa”, in order to increase the accessibility and affordability of the drugs there.