In ancient China, the sick went to see a healer. Healers were like doctors, although thousands of years ago, healers knew less about the science of medicine than we do today. They sought the help of magical spirits; people called them “shaman”, “medicine man” or “folk doctor”. But about 1,100 years ago, Chinese doctors began attending medical school.
As civilization advanced, magic played a lesser role in healing.
Over time, healers learned various techniques that they used to help their patients. They used techniques such as Tui Na’ (therapeutic massage); acupuncture; moxabustion; herbs; nutrition; Qigong (breathing and meditation techniques); Tai Chi Chuan or other martial arts, Feng Shui (the practice of placing objects based on yin and yang and the flow of chi or energy), and Chinese astrology. This knowledge was passed down from generation to generation.
Philosophies such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism also influenced Chinese medicine. The concept of yin and yang was part of the philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. Ancient Chinese healers believed that nature was made up of two opposing forces, yin and yang, which must be in harmonious balance for good health.
Yin and yang are cosmic energies or qi (chi). They reside in the universe and in the human body. Yin is negative energy: cold, dark and feminine. Yang is positive energy: light, warm and masculine. Although they are opposites, yin and yang are inseparable. Everything contains yin and yang to varying degrees, but they were part of an overall unifying force, Tao. (Beshore, 1998, p. 11)
Visually, yin and yang are represented by a circle. Inside this circle are two curved shapes, one black and one white, and both shaped like tadpoles. Yin and yang never exist individually, but one can be above the other. It is this imbalance that causes poor health.
If the yin and yang are in balance or in harmony within a person, good health prevails. But if the balance is disturbed, the Chinese healer’s job is to restore harmony. Common treatments used included the treatments listed above.
The Five Elements, or the Five Zangs, was another belief system that stated that everything is made of earth, wood, water, fire, and metal, all of which are interrelated with each other and with human structure and function. Each human organ has a corresponding element: fire, metal, water, wood and earth. Illness indicates disharmony between the elements. So, a healer used the Five Element philosophy when treating a patient based on the element or elements at odds. (Ross, 1982, pp. 29-31)
Complex philosophies such as the doctrine of yin and yang and the five elements became the basis for diagnosing and treating illness. According to historians, these practices date back to the 6th century BC
The cosmos had to be taken into account when diagnosing a patient. The stars, the season of the year, and even the time of day the disease began had to be determined before treatment could begin. Medicine was needed.
The early alchemists, or chemists, mixed various materials to form potions that could cure humans of various illnesses. (Beshore, 1998, pp. 15-17)
They used the five element theory to make and prescribe drugs. (Ross, 1982, p. 50)
Herbs and other plants were made into medicines. Sometimes, animal and mineral elements were also used. A book on drugs written in the 16th century lists more than two thousand substances used to make more than sixteen thousand medicines. Ancient Chinese doctors couldn’t always explain why so many of their potions worked, but they watched carefully for the positive reactions of their patients when herbal medicines were successful.
All parts of an herb were used, including the stem, seeds, leaves, fruit, and roots. Different processes of drying, roasting and soaking in water were used. Some herbs were used in their natural state. Ginseng was especially popular because the ancient Chinese believed that the root of the plant had magical qualities to prolong life.
They also used the ephedra plant, which was prized for reducing excessive bleeding and relieving coughs caused by asthma. Animal medicines were also popular. Toad secretion was used for stimulation purposes. Minerals such as mercury and sulfur were often used in medicines that were effective in treating many foods. For example, arsenic was used in an ointment to treat rashes and skin sores; Zinc sulfate was prescribed for bladder disorders.
Acupuncture is believed to have existed during the Stone Age of China when flint needles used in acupuncture were discovered. Shamans may have used acupuncture to expel demons from the body of a sick person. During the Iron and Bronze Ages, flint needles were replaced by metal ones.
Acupuncture is a form of therapy in which one or more needles are inserted into the patient’s skin. The needles penetrate the skin to different depths and into various meridians or points on the body. Acupuncture restored yin and yang to a state of balance within the patient’s body. The needles released an excess of yin or yang depending on which force was out of balance. Most illnesses required more than one acupuncture treatment.
Acupuncture has endured as a healing art in China for more than 3,000 years. Moxa or moxabustion requires the use of fire instead of needles. The curandero or doctor crushed the dried leaves of the mugwort plant and rolled them into a cone shape.
Several cones would be placed at specific points on the patient’s body and then turned on. The burning cones would be removed just before the fire touched the skin. Moxa caused intense blood and nerve stimulation in the treated areas, leaving a red stain where the burning cone had been. Mugwort leaves were eventually replaced by mulberry, ginger, and aconite leaves.
Ancient Chinese healers were also interested in preventative medicine. Nutrition was considered important as well as exercise and mental serenity. They also developed ways to stop the spread of disease. They destroyed germs by burning a chemical that disinfected a deceased person’s house and steamed the clothes of sick people so others wouldn’t get sick. They also developed a primitive form of vaccination against smallpox. It was not until the 18th century that Western medicine discovered the fundamental idea of immunization against disease. (Beshore, 1998, p. 31)
The ancient Chinese discovered certain diagnostic techniques that were not used in the West until centuries later. These techniques included: checking the patient’s pulse; examine the patient’s language, voice, and body; observation of the patient’s face and ear; observation of the patient’s body for sensitivity; examination of the vein in the index finger in children; and comparisons of the relative hotness or coldness of different parts of the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine developed as a non-invasive therapeutic medicine rooted in ancient belief systems and traditions.
Beshore, George. Science in ancient China. New York: Franklin Watts, 1998
Ross, Frank Jr. Oracle Bones, Stars and Wheelbarrows: Science and Technology of Ancient China. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1982.