>In fact I think they have a leg up such
>as Chinese patent medicines concentrates derived from herbal medicine
>which the last time I checked was $20b/year.

Most of TCM does not go through any scientific analysis to see if there
are any positive or negative effects. The entire system is derrived
from unsubstantiated, anecdotal "information" that was supposedly
passed from generation to generation. In fact, now, most Chinese
choose to use Western medicine because they can actually see results.
It can also be said that many of the people that use TCM are the ones
that cannot readily afford how expensive Western medicine is here.
With TCM, the patient is told to drink some sort of tea (a lot of water
with fresh ginger added and all kinds of random debris such as bone),
get lots of rest, and eat a lot of vegetables...when you go to the
doctor in the west, what does he tell you? He says, drink lots of
fluids, get a lot of rest, and eat well.

There are too many variables to account for to be able to actually get
a good study from this. You also have to consider the incubation
period of certain illnesses and the normal course of the illness;
usually the last variable is the killer. The common cold lasts for 5-7
days. Many Chinese doctors say that they have the cure to the common
cold...they tell you to drink the tea for 5-7 days. See a problem with
this logic?

I recommend you guys check out this website; it has all kinds of stuff
about medical quackery and has some articles on Chinese medicine.

http://www.quackwatch.com

Anyway, as for the pu'er medical debate, in HK they sell pu'er in the
medicine shops (Eastern and Western) to cure stomach ailments, and as
an aid to help lose weight. Finding scientific studies, especially in
China, on this will probably be just as difficult as finding some
studies that prove that drinking the dung of some rare animal will cure
impotency. All I know, through my observations, is that it makes my
stomach feel damn fine after drinking it, and that's good enough for
me. heh.

>I just asked why you think the West has to validate anything the East
>does in science?

It ain't for the money, it's for safety; well, could be a little for
the money. Many people, such as people with some sort of incurable
disease, would easily buy into some sort of magical, mystical Eastern
cure.