T.R. Reid Quote

Would ancient Tibetan medicine recognize the value of X-rays? Absolutely! the doctor said. When patients bring me their X-rays from the clinic up at Khunde, this is extremely helpful in my treatment. On the other hand, Dr. Tenzin was mystified by other diagnostic practices in Western medicine. When they do urinalysis up at Khunde, all they do is stick a slip of paper into the sample, he said. But that can’t be enough. I just don’t think it is possible to diagnose a medical problem and propose a course of treatment without tasting the urine. Certainly I wouldn’t begin a diagnosis of your shoulder until I had tasted your urine. It tells so much about a patient’s health status.

T.R. Reid

Would ancient Tibetan medicine recognize the value of X-rays? Absolutely! the doctor said. When patients bring me their X-rays from the clinic up at Khunde, this is extremely helpful in my treatment. On the other hand, Dr. Tenzin was mystified by other diagnostic practices in Western medicine. When they do urinalysis up at Khunde, all they do is stick a slip of paper into the sample, he said. But that can’t be enough. I just don’t think it is possible to diagnose a medical problem and propose a course of treatment without tasting the urine. Certainly I wouldn’t begin a diagnosis of your shoulder until I had tasted your urine. It tells so much about a patient’s health status.

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About T.R. Reid

T. R. Reid (born Thomas Roy Reid III in 1944) is an American reporter, documentary film correspondent, and author. He has also been a frequent guest on National Public Radio (NPR)'s Morning Edition. Reid currently lives in Denver, Colorado.