The History of Chinese Medicine

Sheng Nung (3494 BC)

• World's earliest discovery of medicine.
• World's first pharmacist.
• Also known as the Divine Plowman or the Divine Healer.
• Agriculturist and herbalist who used taste to understand properties and values.
• Recorded the use of an herbal remedy to treat fever.
• Verbally handed down.

Huang Di (2674 BC)

• Yellow Emperor - ancestor of Chinese race.
• Medical expert.
• With Chi Po wrote the "Nei Jing".
• Healing, taste herbs, herbs, meridians, cause of disease.
• Dialogue, theories of life and death.

Chia-Ku-Wen (1766 - 1154 BC)

• Divining phrases with respect to disease and recovery.
• Prayer
• Witchcraft

Wooden / Bamboo Slips (475 - 221 BC)

• Warring states period
• Notes/records - drugs and formulas, herb teas

Chin Yoeh Jen (407 - 310 BC)

• 1st Acupuncturist - observing, listing, questioning, palpation.
• Treated the prince.
• GP - travelled - gynecopathy, gerontology, paediatrics - King of Drugs
• Assassinated via Lee (Royal Medico)

Nei Jing (The book of Interior) (100 BC)

• 1st medical book (Huang Di)
• 18 Volumes - book anterior, 37 volumes - book exterior
• physiology
• pathology
• therapeutics
• disease classification
• meridian
• Chinese philosophy

Hua Tuo (110 - 207 AD)

• 1st surgeon
• invented anaesthesia (hemp)
• plaster (mulberry paper)
• Internal medicine (parasites)

Chang Chung-Ching (142 - 220 AD)

• 1st Medical specialist - identification and discussions - 6 divisions
• Disease and fevers book, summarises of household remedies.

Wang Su-Ho (210 - 285 AD)

• Pulse expert (The book on Pulse) - 10 volumes to Korea, Japan, Middle East, India.
• Diets with seasons.

Li Tyung Yuan (1180 - 1251 AD)

• Physician.
• Prescribing drugs.
• Theory of visceral diseases.
• Interior/Exterior diseases

Chu Tan Chi (1281 - 1358 AD)

• Physician
• Yin/Yang theories of disease.

Li Shin-Chen (1518 - 1593 AD)

• China's greatest naturalist pulses, rare meridians, clinical cases, herb catalogue.

Wang Ken Tang (1549 - 1613 AD)

• Revisionist of medical books, calligraphist.

Wu Yu Ko (1592 - 1672 AD)

• Contagious disease (theory of plague)
• Disease substance epidemics - contact, air - pathogens.

Fu Ching Cho (1607 - 1684 AD)

• Gynaecologist.

Yeh Tien Shih (1667 - 1746 AD)

• empiricist of internal medicine
• diagnostic techniques - season diseases, fevers, clinical guides.

Hsieh Sheng Pai (1681 - 1770 AD)

• Internist
• Medical abstracts

Chen Hsiu Yuan (1752 - 1823 AD)

• Medical author - 20 books (notes on general diseases)
• International fame - educate public

Wang Ching Jen (1768 - 1831)

• Physiological anatomist of man and animals, organs, arteries (protecting vessels), veins (nourishing), drawings, brain (wisdom) Qi/Xue classification.

Hsish Li Heng (1879 - 1950 AD)

• 20th century Chinese medical history
• 3.5 million characters
• 32 editions
• teacher.

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