In 1998, Dr. Huisheng Xie founded the Chi
Institute in Reddick, Florida, to train veterinarians in Chinese acupuncture, herbal medicine, food therapy and Tui-na. Before coming to America, Dr. Xie (pronounced Shay) received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Veterinary Medicine (equivalent to DVM) from the Sichuan College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine in 1983. In 1988, he received a Master of Science in Veterinary Acupuncture from Bejing Agricultural University, where he also served as an asso- ciate professor until July 1994. Later that same year, Dr. Xie moved to America to pursue his doctoral studies. In 1999, he received his PhD from the University of Florida for his thesis on investigation of the mechanisms of pain control in horses using acupuncture. As a young boy, Xie’s grandfather often told him,
IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE, the heart is considered the emperor of the body. The spirit of the heart, known as shen, is fundamental to good health. If shen is strong, the body will be strong; if we lose shen, the body will perish. Shen is the force that animates the body; guides its consciousness and intellect; reflects upon what it observes and provides a sense of awareness. While many of us have been taught that such qualities of mind belong to the brain, we still intuitively identify our sense of self with the heart. Poets, for example, speak of the pain of heartbreak and the goodwill of the kindhearted.
“Every man has his own path, and so long as you are diligent, you will find yours.” While he firmly believes that teaching and fostering Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine through his Chi Institute is his path and his life’s destination, he did not arrive at it immediately on his own. It has been a course that emerged gradually and organi- cally, for him, as with Dr. Todd. While attending the Florida
Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA) conference in 2000, Dr. Todd had an opportunity to hear Dr. Xie lecture on TCVM. “As I sat and listened, I realized that, here was a teacher for whom I had been searching for many years. He under- stood TCVM and veterinary medicine. I must have asked what seemed like a mil- lion questions. Every question Dr. Xie readily answered only sparked more ques- tions from me,” said Dr. Todd, who would begin taking courses at the Chi Institute that same year. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Todd was
invited to lecture for IVAS. “I figured it would be an hour, maybe two and
thought, why not? When IVAS suggested that I lecture for 10 hours, I was floored. But, it was a remarkable opportunity. I learned so much in the preparation of those lectures. I probably invested 50 hours of prepara- tion for every hour of lecture,” said Dr. Todd. When the time arrived for Dr. Todd to lecture in
Houston, Texas, he was terrified. “I walked into the con- ference room, toting my books, wearing my brand new suit. I looked up and could not believe my eyes. Dr. Xie was lecturing immediately before me. How would I ever follow Dr. Xie, the Master?” As Dr. Todd set about get- ting ready for his lecture, he watched as students sur- rounded Dr. Xie, asking him dozens of questions. Then, Dr. Xie did something that would immeasurably increase Dr. Todd’s credibility with the audience.
70 THE NEW BARKER
He interrupted the questions from his audience and said, “Greg, I’ll see you back in Gainesville.” As he walked past Dr. Todd’s well-worn copy of Maciocia’s The Foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr. Xie picked it up, smiled and said, “Well used.” Dr. Todd recalls how extremely grateful he was for Dr. Xie’s gift.
Dr. Xie and Dr. Todd. Dr. Xie invited Dr. Todd to become a Teaching
Assistant (TA) and lecture for the Chi Institute. “I found that being involved with the Chi Institute was sharpen- ing my saw. It had an amazing renewing effect. Each time I finished preparing for a lecture I found myself reinvigorated about practice and TCVM. Each time I was with students, TA’s or Dr. Xie, I was re-inoculated with a thirst for learning and the knowledge that here is a tool that has limitless boundaries to apply to the aid of my patients,” explained Dr. Todd. “We believe that, at our veterinary hospital, we exist
to help people and make pets healthy. And along those lines we look for those tools that are going to help us. TCVM has been a big part of that. We have had cases that could not be fixed with conventional treatment, that have responded dramatically to TCVM therapy. The greatest reward for me, as a practitioner, has been to sit in a room with pet owners who share, with tears in their eyes, the joy of seeing an old dog pick up a toy and play, after years of not playing. Or about the dog with a brain tumor that is still happy and asymptomatic after more than a year. These stories are not limited to my experi- ence. Every TCVM practitioner I have met has his or her own victories. Trusting in the medicine and applying it with a logical process and perseverance, yields extraordi- nary results.” Over the years, Dr. Sullivan refused to accept pay-
ment from Dr. Todd for the time he spent introducing him to and teaching him about Traditional Chinese Medicine. “Greg is admired by his peers and clients not only
because he is such a front runner in his field, but also because he is just a good man, not just to the animals but to people; very loving. You pick up on that right away. Even in the process of dying and death, he is very compassionate,” said Dr. Sullivan.
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