Ban animal-based Chinese medicines
The Toronto Star
Mon 12 Dec 2005
Page: A25
Section: Letter
New bill governs Chinese healing
Dec. 8.
There are some very disturbing aspects to the proposed regulation of traditional Chinese medicine by the Ontario health ministry. With regard to herbal remedies and acupuncture, legislation to regulate these is welcome so they can be tested for safety and to ensure sterile conditions.
There is, however, another side to traditional Chinese medicine, which involves the use of animal-based ingredients. I submit that this aspect is derived mainly from superstition, eg. strength from tiger parts; male potency from seal penises and so on. It often involves abhorent cruelty to animals bred for the purpose. For instance, deplorable conditions of captivity, and execrable practices such as "milking" a live bear's gall bladder. Tigers have been bred specifically to be slaughtered for "medicine" and many of our own wild Canadian bears have been illegally killed merely to extract their gall bladders, with the rest of the body left to rot.
These kinds of products should have no place in Ontario or Canada, and should be banned from being imported or sold.
Yvonne Mackie, Newmarket
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