Taiwanese rush to obtain 'dog day' treatment

2011/07/14 Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Taiwanese flooded Chinese medicine clinics Thursday, the first of the "dog days" on the lunar calendar, to obtain a traditional remedy in what is believed to be the prime time for treating illnesses that may have carried over from winter. Patients are encouraged to use the topical application "Sang-Fu-Teh" on July 14, July 24 and Aug. 13 this year because on the lunar calendar they are the three hottest days of 2011, according to Chinese medicine practitioners. "You have to receive the treatment on these three days, otherwise it won't be as effective," said Lee Hsueh-ming, a Chinese medicine doctor in Kaohsiung. He said Sang-Fu-Teh is a distinctive prescription because different doctors interpret the guidelines in the ancient Chinese medicine books differently. For his part, Lee said, he usually mixes ginger juice with Chinese herbs such as musk and brassica then puts the mixture on gauze pads, allows it to dry and applies six of the pads to the back of each patient. Sang-Fu-Teh works best against allergy-related illnesses and is most effective on "dog days" as that is when people's "chi," or life force, peaks, he said. In addition, the absorption of the topical remedy through the meridian points helps to achieve the best results, he said. Taipei City Hospital reported that it had about 300 patients seeking the Sang-Fu-Teh treatment Thursday. But Cheng Ming-dean, director of the Central Weather Bureau's weather forecast center, said there was no scientific evidence to support the belief that the lunar calendar "dog days" were the hottest of the year. "The lunar calendar is not based on Taiwan's climate patterns," he said. "Also, we must understand that climate data reflect a general average, not specifics."