Boundaries and classification: the cultural logic of treating foreign medicine

This article uses historical anthropology to examine the cultural responses to the introduction of foreign medicine, using the cases of Western medicine in 16th-19th century China and TCM in 19th-20th century United States. It argues that the initial perception of foreign medicine as dangerous stems from the disruption of existing local classification systems. The acceptance of foreign medicine requires its reinterpretation and reclassification within the framework of the local cultural system, a process illustrated by the "TCMization" of Western medicine in China and the "scientification" of TCM in the US. This highlights the cultural nature of the boundaries between science and non-science and their role in shaping societal acceptance of medical practices.

Yufan Xu