"A man ungoes medicated fire treatment at a local traditional hospital in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China. The treatment is popular during winter months and is believed to assist in the prevention of ailments such as the common cold or flu."

Anyone know what this treatment's called? The treatment 看起来很热！

A 100 year old doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (陈兆一 Chen Zhaoyi，otherwise referred to as 陈老) was recently quoted on the question of strengths & weaknesses of each approach. 

The strengths of Chinese medicine are (1) disease prevention .. and the philosophy that Man is not separate from Nature; (2) treatment of chronic diseases and rare disorders; (3) unique ways of regulating the body and dealing with 'sub-health'; (4) access to physicians and low medical costs; (5) human sensibility (sic). 

Ditto Western: (1) good results in the treatment of acute diseases and surgical (procedures); (2) Western medicine and modern science and technology and closely linked; (3) Western medicine is suitable for fast-paced life.  

This last point reminded me of a story I read recently arguing the advantages of 'strolling'.   This is something that drives Westerners crazy in China but I think that there is something in it.  And apparently it is supported by doctors of Chinese medicine.  The author argues that Chinese cities are designed for strolling, whereas American cities are not.