The Chinese have been practicing medicine for nearly five thousand. Although the first written evidence dates back to the 2nd century BC, references in these documents and archeological finds prove that the Chinese have been refining the practice for thousands of years. An important aspect of Chinese culture and medicine is philosophy. As a major contributor and stop along the Silk Route they were exposed to the cultural and religious beliefs of the people of India, Africa, Egypt, Greece, and the Islamic, Taoist, Confucianism and Buddhist religions. The Chinese incorporated what they learned from these encounters into their own philosophies, techniques, and practices. The Chinese developed their own diagnostic and treatment techniques.
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Archaeologists found the first recordings of acupuncture etched on bones in a tomb from the Shang period. They also discovered a large number of thin pointed stones which were used as needles. Later they used slivers of animal bones and bamboo as needles. A bronze statue that showed all 657 acupoints of the body was also unearthed. It was determined that the statue would have been used in the Imperial acupuncture exams. The statues were covered in wax and filled with water, students would locate the point the examiner named and insert a needle. When they removed the needle if there was a small drop of water they passed. Acupuncture gained popularity during the Song Dynasty when it supposedly cured the Emperor who had become ill in 1034. As stated earlier, acupuncture is used alongside cupping, moxibustion, bloodletting, and …show more content…
The origin of herbal medicine is often traced back to Shen Nong, who is believed to have been an ancient tribal leader. It is said that “Shen Nong tastes a hundred herbs in a single day and meets seventy toxins”. Shen Nong wrote Shen Nong’s Classics of Materia Medica which is the first herbal book in Chinese Medicine. In this book he documented 365 types of medical material, remedies for asthmatic coughs and dysentery, an anti-malarial drug and many others herbal compounds. Yi Yin, a former slave and minister during the Shang dynasty, boiled herbs creating compounds to cure disease. He is credited with writing Yi Yin’s Soup Classic, a book which documented his cures. During the Zhou dynasty materials to create medication included herbs, animal material, and minerals. During the Tang dynasty Sun Simiao documented instructions to harvest and process 233 different types of herbs. During the Yuan dynasty Chinese herbs were used as a general anesthetic and to speed healing. In 1593 Li Shizhen wrote the Compendium Materia Medica documenting 1892 herbal drugs grouped into 16 categories. The Compendium Materia Medica has been translated into at least seven different languages. Hua Tuo who is known as the Hipporates of China used aconite, datura and herbs to create an anesthetic which could be inhaled. Moxibustion is a variation on herbal medicine. In moxibustion, the mugwort herb is burned while being held over
Archaeologists found the first recordings of acupuncture etched on bones in a tomb from the Shang period. They also discovered a large number of thin pointed stones which were used as needles. Later they used slivers of animal bones and bamboo as needles. A bronze statue that showed all 657 acupoints of the body was also unearthed. It was determined that the statue would have been used in the Imperial acupuncture exams. The statues were covered in wax and filled with water, students would locate the point the examiner named and insert a needle. When they removed the needle if there was a small drop of water they passed. Acupuncture gained popularity during the Song Dynasty when it supposedly cured the Emperor who had become ill in 1034. As stated earlier, acupuncture is used alongside cupping, moxibustion, bloodletting, and …show more content…
The origin of herbal medicine is often traced back to Shen Nong, who is believed to have been an ancient tribal leader. It is said that “Shen Nong tastes a hundred herbs in a single day and meets seventy toxins”. Shen Nong wrote Shen Nong’s Classics of Materia Medica which is the first herbal book in Chinese Medicine. In this book he documented 365 types of medical material, remedies for asthmatic coughs and dysentery, an anti-malarial drug and many others herbal compounds. Yi Yin, a former slave and minister during the Shang dynasty, boiled herbs creating compounds to cure disease. He is credited with writing Yi Yin’s Soup Classic, a book which documented his cures. During the Zhou dynasty materials to create medication included herbs, animal material, and minerals. During the Tang dynasty Sun Simiao documented instructions to harvest and process 233 different types of herbs. During the Yuan dynasty Chinese herbs were used as a general anesthetic and to speed healing. In 1593 Li Shizhen wrote the Compendium Materia Medica documenting 1892 herbal drugs grouped into 16 categories. The Compendium Materia Medica has been translated into at least seven different languages. Hua Tuo who is known as the Hipporates of China used aconite, datura and herbs to create an anesthetic which could be inhaled. Moxibustion is a variation on herbal medicine. In moxibustion, the mugwort herb is burned while being held over