Colds melt in the heat

Three people take the cupping treatment before putting on "futie" at a hospital in Tianjin, north China, on the first day of "toufu" this year July 19, 2010. "Toufu" is the first of three periods traditionally regarded as the hottest summer days of the Chinese lunar calendar. The other two are "zhongfu" (the second period) and "mofu" (the third period). Continous treatment of putting "futie" (medical plasters used for summer treatment) on certain acupuncture points in these three periods can cure diseases that one often gets in the winter such as Asthma and other respiratory infections, according to theories of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The whole treatment process lasts for three summers. [Xinhua]