Difference

        Traditional Chinese medicine has been a part of Chinese history since the days Sheng-nong tasted hundreds of herbs for their healing qualities, and this traditional culture has also undergone changes in order to meet modern needs, such as difference in prescription and usage and the style and décor of Chinese medicine apothecaries. These changes have all been made to meet customers’ needs and preferences, so that Chinese medicine itself may be sustained, but where exactly do the differences lie? In the interviews we conducted, we discovered several prominent changes, including product form, quality of herbs, and store décor.

1.Changes in product form

     In the past, Chinese medicine prescriptions were almost all taken in the form of “decoction,” meaning that people had their pulses taken by Chinese medicine physicians at apothecaries, physicians would prescribe according to symptoms and put together a herbal prescription, then customers would take the prescription home and boil it for drinking. However, as the cooking process is often complicated and time-consuming, less people became willing to take the time and trouble, and so in order to facilitate purchase and intake, apothecaries became selling packets of “ready-made” prescriptions for common illnesses to save time for people who already have prescriptions and only need the have the materials put together. They also began offering services for “cooking the herbs” on the customers’ behalf, and even packaging the concoctions in “vacuum bags,” because modern customers often cannot spare time to prepare medicine for themselves, and find these services very convenient.

2.Differences in herb quality

     In former days, government regulations restricted the amount and variety of herbs that could be imported, therefore limiting the choices people had, sometimes lowering their willingness to purchase herbal medicine, and often making people settle for herbs of inferior quality.

Various Chinese herbal medicine.

      Nowadays free trade allow for made different varieties of herbs to be imported, and for merchants to make purchases from many different regions and countries of herbs of assorted quality. People’s spending power has gone up, their choices have become much wider, and so many different consumer types and patterns have appeared.

3.Distinctions in décor

I used to visit my grandfather’s apothecary when I was little, the shop was lined with cabinets, and one could never tell how much different kinds of medicine were stored in those cabinets. When customers showed up with prescriptions and asked for herbal concoctions, the clerks would quickly retrieve everything they needed from corresponding cabinet drawers and pack them into individual doses. Some medicines were stored in “covered jars,” but nowadays people have more awareness of sanitary issues and prefer that medicines be stores in refrigerators in case of mold, and so the covered jars have become mere decorations. In addition, in order to attract the younger generation, apothecaries have installed glass storefronts and subdued lighting, tidy cabinets and fine packaging, and the dank dark atmosphere has been replaced by light and bright décor.

    The bottle stored Chinese herbal medicines in early days is used as adornment now.

     We use sealed jars to preserve Chinese   herbal medicines.

   For keeping hygiene,we preserve Chinese herbal medicines in the refrigerator.

Refreshing and clean environment

        Chinese medicine may be a traditional industry, but in order to meet with modern needs, both apothecaries and physicians have had to try maintaining the essence of the culture as well as make innovations in order to attract customers. We cannot but admire the dedication of Chinese medicine owners in their efforts to keep up with the modern lifestyle while holding on to traditional cultural values!

Apothecaries past and present