TCM on the horns of a moral dilemma

The traditional Chinese medicine industry is facing a dilemma: Should it replace tiger bones and rhino horns used in its medicine to please animal-rights activists at the cost of reducing potential healing effects?

China issued its first white paper on TCM on Tuesday, highlighting both the development of the modern TCM pharmaceutical industry and the traditional roots of ancient therapies.

Animal-rights activists have long raised questions over TCM because many traditional formula contain animal parts or elements extracted from them.