Westernization was in vogue during the early years of the Republic and in 1929 the Minister of Health ordered the abandonment of Chinese medicine, only to be dissuaded by provincial appeals.
民國十八年，在南京召開的「中央衛生會議」，當時的衛生部長劉瑞恆甚至提議「廢止舊醫，以掃除醫事衛生之障礙案」；一時全國譁然，後來各省紛紛派遣代表前來南京請願、抗議，才使中國傳統醫學免於被消弭的厄運。