General question:
Does anyone know if the Chinese name “Wu De Kai” is an honorary title? Also, does anyone know if Chinese Herbal Medicine, or traditional Chinese medicine, has any specific treatment for Tuberculosis (as a palliative, of course), and whether that treatment is in fact effective?
–In the 1870’s, a member of my family living in the foothills of the Sierras in California was treated for Tuberculosis by a local Chinese practitioner of traditional medicine. She swore in letters to family that the treatments made her feel much better, and that they were better than anything Western medicine had provided (this was prior to modern treatments, which generally cure, of course).
–She called the Chinese doctor she visited at a nearby town “Old Wu de Kai.” Online, I have found hints that this name may be an honorary title, like “Wu, man of accomplishment.” I wonder if anyone can confirm that, or explain the real meaning, if any.
–I’m also curious if anyone has enough knowledge of Chinese Herbal Medicine to say if there is any Chinese traditional treatment for Tuberculosis that, in fact, might provide relief? Can this be confirmed by scientific evidence, or did my relative benefit from a placebo effect?
–Wei Ji