A methodical process and a random or intuitive process only look like the same trial and error on the outside, and only to the (probably willfully) ignorant.
The trappings and ceremony of a theory and methodology are not actually a theory or methodology.
It doesn't do anyone any good to allow any confusion of the two.
But TCM practitioners of the past and present have "landed" on successful treatment that go beyond just placebo and throwing that out because of the differing methods used in discovery and delivery is a shame when the more opportunistic thing to do would be to isolate and identify why the thing works.
Better yet, understanding why TCM continues to persist for reasons beyond just "culture" and trying to apply them back into our own prevailing methodologies would surely lead to better outcomes
I mean, most of TCM is pure bunkum, but blaming them for continuing to try to fix the problem is odd.