History Of Chinese Medicine

OM301: HISTORY OF EASTERN MEDICINE Week 3: Qin & Han Dynasty to Three Kingdom Period (part 1) Yueqikun Wang, L.Ac, Dipl.OM ywang17@vuim.edu

QIN DYNASTY 221-206 BC

QÍN SHǏ HUÁNG 秦始皇(259-210 BC)

Unification of China & First Emperor of China

Favored the philosophy and practice of Legalism

Known for the Great Wall & Terracotta Warriors

Interest in external alchemy/wài dān 外丹

CINNABAR/ZHŪ SHĀ 朱砂

External alchemy/wài da ̄n外丹

The fascination lead to many fundamental techniques in basic chemistry such as distillation, filtration, and sublimation, and the changes during chemical reactions

HAN DYNASTY 206 BC – 221 CE FOUNDING OF “CLASSICAL” MEDICINE

HAN DYNASTY 206 BC – 221 CE

Period of peace & stability, allowing civilization to reach a high point and propel the advancement of medical thought

Improved & rationalized medicine by eliminating magic, spirit possession with yin yang & wu ̌ xíng/ five phase theory

Embodied aspects of the 100 Schools of Thoughts

The shì ⼠/ scholars systematized medicine to map the relationship between all things observable in the heavens on earth and in mankind

SHĀN HǍI JĪNG ⼭海經/MOUNTAINS & SEAS CLASSIC

Mythical geography text that discusses mythic plants & animals

Not a medical text

Lists 38 diseases and symptoms

68 herbs mentioned.. ròu guì ⾁ 桂/cinnamon, da ̄ng guī 當歸/ angelica, shè xia ̄ng 麝⾹/musk

MEDICAL CLASSICS OF THE HAN DYNASTY

Huáng Dì Nèiji ̄ng ⿈帝內經/ Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic

Nàn Ji ̄ng 難經/Classic of Difficult Issues

Shén Nóng Běncǎo Ji ̄ng 神農本草經/Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica

Shāng Hán Zá Bìng Lùn 傷寒雜病論/On Cold Damage & Miscellaneous Diseases

Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng ⿈帝內經/ Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic

• Brought with it a new approach to the concepts of health & disease

• New understandings of the human body and its functions

• Seeing the person or organism as an integrated whole

• Theoretical science based on natural laws

• With new sciences and technology and therapeutic techniques

• The promise of health, if one adheres to the laws of nature

Nàn Jīng 難經/Difficult Issues

• Discussions of difficult passages in the Nèi Jīng

• Important source of 5 Element theory

• Pulse diagnosis (first 23 chapters) & Origin of the cùn kǒu ⼨又 pulse( Radial pulse)

• Systematic Analysis of the qí ji ̄ng bā mài 奇經⼋脈 Meridians (8 Extraordinary Vessels)

• 命⾨ /Gate of Fire mìng mén

• Not an herbal text

Mǎ Wáng Duī ⾺王堆 Manuscript & Tomb

• Sealed during 168 BC in a aristocratic women’s tomb written & on silk bamboo and discovered in 1973 with an early copy of the Yi Jing and two copies of the Dao De Jing

• Wu Shi Er Bing Fang mentions 400 medicinals & 283 formulas. And the the treatment for certain conditions

• Dao Yin Tu: Illustrates 44 health exercises

• Discusses nourishing life techniques ya ̌ng shēng 養⽣

• Figurine found with 11 mài 脈/vessels

• Discussed only Moxibustion techniques and Bian stone needling but not mention of acupuncture.