Zhang Xichun was a native of Hebei. He can be considered an important figure in the history of Chinese medicine. Zhang Xichun was born in 1860. Although in 1885, Zhang Xichun was able to cure some critical illnesses, he actually taught as his means of livelihood. However, when he was 33 years old, he followed his father's advice to study medicine after failing an exam. That was also Zhang Xichun's introduction to Western medicine. In 1904, Zhang Xichun was so influenced by Western ideas that he decided to specialize in medicine. When he was 50 years old, Zhang Xichun's fame began to rise because he had completed the book Medicine Zhongzhong ganxilu (医学衷中参西录).
In 1911, Zhang Xichun became sufficiently specialized in medicine to begin his formal career as a doctor, and in 1916, China's first traditional Chinese medicine hospital, Lida Hospital, was opened in Tianjin. In 1916, China's first TCM hospital was established in Tianjin, and Zhang Xichun was appointed as the director of Lida Hospital. During his tenure as director, Zhang Xichun also continued to cultivate talents in Chinese medicine. In 1928, he opened a correspondence school of Chinese medicine in Tianjin. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 70 due to illness.
There's a reason Zhang Xichun was called a master, because although he started late in his medical career, he took medicine very seriously, taking a hands-on approach to any problem he encountered and thinking hard about taking care of his patients. Although Zhang Xichun practiced traditional Chinese medicine, Zhang Xichun was objective in his approach to Western medicine and was pragmatic. Basically, Zhang Xichun's prescriptions are based on clinical experience.
While some of Zhang Xichun's theories are still subjective, they were more influenced by the historical conditions of his time. Zhang Xichun's contributions to the theory of Chinese medicine are admirable, and his knowledge of the integration of Chinese medicine should not be dismissed. Overall, Zhang Xichun is a practicing Chinese medicine practitioner.