History of otology development in China and Hong Kong

Abstract

The basis of traditional Chinese medicine is the maintenance of balance within the internal body environment and its interaction with the external changes. This concept was transmitted orally and summarized in the ‘Nei Ching’ or the Book of internal medicine, believed to be written around 300 BC. The balance is maintained by ‘Chi’ which flows in the 12 meridians within the body. Ear in Chinese medicine is an organ that present symptoms reflecting disease in the rest of the body. Patients with tinnitus or hearing loss would be recognized to be short of ‘Chi’ and this may be related to kidney diseases. Patients with otorrhoea were thought to harbour internal ‘poison’ that affected the balance. Western medicine was introduced to China around the mid eighteenth century. One of the pioneering Chinese otolaryngologists was Dr. Jiang Si Chang. He was trained in Chicago in 1947. On his return, he influenced the development of Otorhinolaryngology in China. When the ENT section of the China Medical Association first formed in 1951, there were less than 100 members. The first Chinese book on the specialty of Otorhinolaryngology was published in 1954 and the first stapedectomy was done in 1962. In Hong Kong, Otorhinolaryngology started in the late fifties when 3 doctors received training in the United Kingdom. The ENT Society was formed in 1969 with a few members only. The Hong Kong College of Otorhinolaryngologists was formed in 1996 which supervises the training of ENT surgeons in Hong Kong has 130 fellows.