Brief introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine and pharmacology are important component parts of China’s splendid national culture. Chinese medicine and pharmacology have made tremendous contributions to China’s prosperity throughout the country’s history of several thousand years. They are noted worldwide for their outstanding curative effects, strong national character, unique method of diagnosis and treatment, systemic theories and vast accumulation of historical records and materials. Chinese medicine and pharmacology have shown great vitality for several thousand years. They are also a valuable complement to the modern techniques of medicine and pharmacology.

The origin of traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology can be traced back to primitive society. In the course of food gathering, they found that some food items could alleviate the symptoms of or cure diseases. That was the origin of TCM. When the ancient Chinese lit fires to warm themselves, they also found that heated stones and sand wrapped in animal skin or bark could reduce pain. Through repeated practice and improvement, moxibustion methods were gradually developed. In the process of using stone instruments they found that when a part of the body was hit by something, pain in some other part of the body might be relieved, so stone or bone acupuncture needles were invented. After a long period of development, the theory of collateral channels took shape, and the technique of acupuncture treatment was perfected.

The basic theory of TCM shows its unique understanding of the zang-fu organs, meridians and collateral channels, qi, blood and body fluids, and pathogeny. The diagnostic method of TCM consists of the “four examination methods” and the differentiation of symptoms. The former refers to visual inspection of the complexion, auscultation, reading the pulse and directly asking about the patient’s conditions. The differentiation of symptoms means after the actual circumstances are gathered through these examinations and analyses, the proper method of treatment is induced. TCM pharmaceutical treatment is often accompanied by acupuncture, massage therapy and qigong (breathing exercises).

1. Basic Theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2. The Course of Development of Chinese Medicine
3. The foremost medical works
4. Chinese Doctors of Lasting Fame-Brief Introduction

The basic theories of traditional Chinese medical science are the basis for Chinese medical prophylaxis and Chinese clinical medical science. It includes the philosophical base, the understanding of the healthy human body, and understanding of diseases, the principles of staying healthy and of treating diseases. Diseases are explained in terms of energy, Qi, Spirit, Yin and Yang, five elements, internal organs, blood circulations, jingluo - passages through which vital energy circulates, regulating bodily functions.
Some of the ancient medical classics on which much of TCM is based are Acupuncture of Yellow Emperor, Sunv Maijue (Medical classics of Sunv Pulse), and Shennong Compendium of Material Medical. Medical classics before Han Dynasty had mostly been lost. Most of the surviving medical classics are based on the Shennong Compendium of Material Medical, Acupuncture of Yellow Emperor, Nan Medical Classics and Shanghan zabinglun. These publications are considered to be the most outstanding works in Chinese medical science.

Chinese medicine is one of the five traditional medicines of the world. It is still developing and is full of vitality.
The Qin-Han Dynasties Period was the carrying forward period of the Chinese medicine. In this period, the dialectical treatment idea was established; the clinical medicine progressed greatly. The prescription system was basically founded, and the early medical records came into being.
During the Three Kingdoms-Six Dynasties period, confronted by the century-long warfare, the social disturbance, the amalgamation of varied nationalities, and the cultural exchanges between nationalities, the medical practitioners had more opportunities to treat diseases and injuries, and accumulate experiences. Both diagnostics and therapeutics reached a new level. This period saw the appearance of nearly200 medical works concerning internal medicine, surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics and first-aid.
Chinese medicine became full-fledged in the Sui-Tang Dynasties owing to the thriving economy and culture, the progress in science and technology, the frequent exchanges between China and foreign countries and the concern of the rulers for the medicine. The medical achievements of the past were summed up; and the effective recipes and drugs of the contemporary doctors, folks and alien people were assimilated, so as to pave the way for further advance in theory and practice. The academic researches on pharmacy and on disease cure and prevention improved.
The Song Dynasty was an important period for the development of science and technology in China, marked by the invention and utilization of gunpowder, compass and printing. The Song emperors paid unprecedented attention to medicine. Under such circumstances, a number of scholar-officials and generals also paid attention to the annotation and revision of the ancient medical literature.
The Ming Dynasty was a politically-stable and economically –advanced period in the Chinese history. In the middle and later part of the period capitalist production sprouted, and commercial economy pushed ahead overseas exchanges, sciences, technology and culture. The medicine also reached a marked high level.
The early mid-period of the Qing Dynasty testified a complicated development of medicine. Going through historical tests and accumulation, the Chinese traditional medicine in this period was perfected, and matured practically and theoretically. A sound system was formed either for the general medicine or for the different branches, with more effective cures in comparison with other nations at the same period. The febrile-disease school in medicine played a positive role in curing epidemic febrile diseases, diminishing death rate and preventing infection. The wide implementation of the human pox vaccination to prevent smallpox was a brilliant achievement in the Chinese and world medical history.

--The largest Chinese medical work: Synopsis of Medicine.
--The largest anthology of medical recipes: Succoring Recipes.
--The most famous female doctor in ancient China: Zeng Zi
--The first Chinese medical book on epidemics: On Febrile Epidemics
--The first Chinese medical book on pathogeny: On Pathogens of Diseases
--The earliest work on acupuncture & moxibustion in the world: Canon of Acupuncture & Moxibustion.
--The earliest work on medical herbs in the world: Canon of Medical Herbs of Shen Nong.
--The first medical master piece in the world: Treatment of Typhoid, Etc
--The first pharmaceutical code in the world: Revised Code of Medical Herbs
--The first work on pulse feeling in the world: Pulse Canon.
--The first forensic medicine work in the world: Anthology of Records of Redressing Injustice
--The first pediatrics work in the world: Key Medical Formulas for Child Symptoms
--The “Oriental pharmaceutical encyclopedia”: Syllabus of Medical Herbs

In the long course of development of Chinese medicine emerged numerous famous doctors, many of whom wrote medical works.
Bian Que
Bian Que, who lived in Qi State at the start of the Warring States period, learned with diligence and formally became apprentice to Master Chang Sang, an eminent doctor of the day. He had an open mind and acquired a wide scope of the techniques concerned, notably pulse acquired a wide scope of the techniques concerned, notably pulse feeling. He used to travel around the different kingdoms and formulated a set of diagnostic methods (four procedures: observation, hearing, interrogation and pulse feeling), making a great contribution to Chinese medicine. These methods are still followed by the modern Chinese doctors. He cured his patients quickly so he was very famous. In the Zhao Kingdom someone attributed to him the name of Bian Que, a legendary famous doctor in the reign of the Yellow Emperor. People remembered him by this attributed name, but forgot his real name.

Hua Tuo, who born in Qiao County (modern Bozhou of Anhui province) of Pei prefecture in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was good at all aspects of medicine, particularly at surgical operations. He was venerated by the later generations as the “Holy Surgeon” and the “Founder of Surgery”.

Hua Tuo’s greatest achievement was in surgery. He invented the anesthetic herb solution, which was a general anesthetic. The procedure he took was as follows: At first the patient was told to swallow the anesthetic solution along with wine; when the patient lost his sense as a drunken person, he cut open the patient’s abdomen. If he found a tumor he cut it off. If it was an impaired intestine or stomach, he cut off the impaired part, cleaned the part, sewed up the part and applied on the part an ointment. About a week later it would heal up, and about a month later the patient would recover fully. Hua Tuo invented general anesthesia in the second or third century A.D., earlier by more than 1,600 years than when the Western surgeons used ether or nitrous oxide to affect general anesthesia. He was not only the first surgeon in China but also the first surgeon in the world to perform an abdomen operation with general anesthesia.

The preeminent pharmacist in the Tang Dynasty Sun Simiao was highly gifted. He could read a 1,000-character essay daily at the age of seven, and was versed in all classics at the age of twenty. He was known as a child prodigy. As he was weak and sick in his youth, his family had to spend all the property to pay for doctors and medicines for him. Hence, he made up his mind to study medicine to cure sick people. He was so studious that he was versed in medicine even when he was young, and patients flocked to him from near and far. He studied diligently the ancient classics on medicine, such as “Plain Queries”, “Crux of Medicine”, “Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion”, “Canon of Medical Herbs”, “Treatment of Typhoid”, “Canon of Pulse”, etc. He did not “stop studying even when he got old.” He also studied foreign medicine at the time, such as the Indian medicine. Sun Simiao had a high proficiency in medicine. But in “the vast ocean of the classics and recipes”, it was difficult to retrieve a recipe for an acute disease, so he was resolved to compile a medical work to make the retrieval easy. After decades of hard work, he completed in 652 A. D. his masterpiece “essential Recipes in Emergency”. After he died he was honored as “Pharmaceutical King” and Mount Wutai where he stayed was renamed Mount Pharmaceutical King. On the mount, a memorial temple and his statue were built in honor of his great contributions and his lofty personality.

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