title: [International exchanges in the early stage of the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine].
abstract: The Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine under the Ministry of Health was established in 1955. It exerted worldwide influence, and attracted extensive attention internationally. During its early days, lots of letters from abroad asking for TCM consultation were accepted consistently. TCM experts were invited to treat a great number of foreign patients in China or overseas. It also received visits of many foreign government delegations and academic groups. Moreover, physicians were dispatched to visit abroad, international academic conferences were held and training classes were sponsored for returned students and medical interns. Frequent international academic exchanges promoted the friendly intercourse with foreign countries, and the spread of TCM overseas, which displayed the function and value of traditional Chinese medicine, reflecting its unique significance and charm, and its great contributions to the improvement of people's health the world over.
authors.affiliation: Master Degree Candidate, China Institute for History of Medicine and Medical Literature, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D002681:China; D006076:Government; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D010820:Physicians