As an important part of traditional Chinese culture, traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of more than 3,000 years. It establishes itself in the long run of Chinese glorious civilization and becomes a shining gem in the eyes of more and more people in the world.
According to archaeological research, writings on traditional Chinese medicine first appeared in the period from the 11th to the third century B.C. These writings have been playing an important part in developing world medical science. Some important medical books have produced far-reaching influence on the science. The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, written by unknown medical scholars during the Warring States Period (476--221 B.C.), is regarded as the first comprehensive medical classic. Based on then scientific achievements and people's medical practice, this book gives detailed description of human anatomy, morbid anatomy, pathological physiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. It lays the theoretical foundation for traditional Chinese medical theory.
Another medical book, Shen Nong's Materia of Medica, finished around the second century B.C., is the earliest extant classic on Chinese pharmacology. It is a summary of the experience of ancient Chinese in using medical substances. In this book, 365 kinds of herbs as well as some pharmacological theories are clearly listed. The effectiveness of these specific medicines has been confirmed by modem pharmacologist.
 During the period from the Eastern Han Dynasty (24 220) to the Western Jin Dynasty (265--317), many outstanding doctors appeared in China. Among them Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing were the most celebrated. Hua Tuo s invention and application of Ma Fei San, a kind of anesthetic, greatly advanced the development of then surgical operations. Zhang Zhongjing, through thorough and comprehensive research of medical classics before him, wrote by combining what he had accumulated with his own findings in clinical practice a book called Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases. (s)The book establishes Chinese medicine's theoretical system and therapeutic principle--diagnosis and treatment based on an overall analysis of signs and symptoms.
 In the Tang Dynasty (618--907), Sun Simiao, a famous physician, devoted his whole life to writing out Prescriptions for Emergencies Worth a Thousand Gold. (6) The book, for the first time in Chinese medical history, systematically deals with acupuncture and moxibustion, diet therapy, etc.
By the Song Dynasty (960--1279), traditional Chinese medicine was officially introduced to educational field. The Imperial Medical Bureau, the supreme institution for cultivating qualified doctors, was set up by the Song government. Traditional Chinese medicine at that time witnessed its rapid development and was wide spread.
 Li Shizhen, a great physician and pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty (1368w1644), after a long time of thorough research, got a clear understanding of growing forms of many herbs by going up mountains to pick up them, dissecting some medicinal ingredients from animals and watching out for the effects. Li Shizhen devoted 27 years to compiling his book Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica). This medical encyclopedia, made up of 52 volumes, contains descriptions of 1,892 medicines with illustrations and 11,000 prescriptions in 16 different categories. This work involves in many fields such as geology, botany, zoology, mineralogy and geography. It has been translated into more than 10 foreign languages. The English scientist Charles Darwin called it "the ancient Chinese encyclopedia."
The Qing Dynasty (1644--1911) witnessed devastating infectious diseases. The school of Epidemic Febrile Diseases appeared in the struggle against such diseases. According to this school, people, strong or weak, old or young, would fall ill as soon as they had the air inside. This opinion marked a breakthrough in the traditional theory of traditional Chinese medicine that held that diseases go into human body only through its surface.
Now, traditional Chinese medicine still enjoys its great popularity both at home and abroad. More and more people come to know the marvelous functions of traditional Chinese medicine.
Theoretical Basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine is mainly based on the following three theories:
1. The theory of Yin and Yang
This theory holds that everything in the world consists of two basic forces, Yin and Yang that not only oppose but also complement each other. According to this theory, Yin and Yang exist between inside and outside aspects of every tissue and structure of the human body. When there is a balance between the two, there is no disease; if the balance is disturbed, illness is sure to arrive.
2. The theory of five elements In this theory, the material world is basically made up of five elements, namely, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. These five elements move and change constantly to promote and restrain each other. The human body is part of the physical world and the internal organs such as liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidney correspond with the five elements in the universe. The liver, for example, is considered to have the quality of wood that can be easily lit up by fire. Thus, a man with a liver disorder can easily get angry.
3. The theory of jing and luo This theory holds that the internal human organs are all linked by channels through which blood and 'qi'(vital energy) circulate. The main channels that run longitudinally are called 'jing' while the branches that run latitudinal are regarded as 'luo'. The blockage of blood and 'qi'in either 'jing' or 'luo' seriously affects people's health. In this case, to clear the blockage to ensure the free flow of blood and 'qi'is the fundamental step in curing diseases.
Guided by these three basic theories, doctors of traditional Chinese medicine emphasize not only local treatment but treatment of the whole body, which is aimed at readjusting its balance.
Diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine In traditional Chinese medicine, diagnosis includes four basic methods: observing, auscultation, inquiring, and pulse palpating.
Observing is to thoroughly inspect the patient's vitality, complexion, physical condition and behavior, picture of the tongue, secretion, etc.
Auscultation is to judge pathological changes by listening to the patient's voice, moans, breathing and cough.
Pulse palpating, regarded as the most important of the four, is applied to find out the prosperity or decline of the viscera, the quality, power, rhythm of the patient's pulse. In other words, this method is to detect by touching or pressing some parts of the patient's body by hand. An excellent doctor can distinguish more than 30 types of pulse. Through pulse palpating, the doctor can correctly diagnose what the disease is.
Knowledge of anatomy and physiology is indispensable in pulse palpating. Valuable references in this field can be formed in ancient Chinese medical literature.
The first to be considered is the relation between the heart, blood, and blood vessels. The pulse, according to The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine, directly reflects the condition of the blood and the function of the heart. The pulse and heart are co-related. The pulse keeps pace with the heartbeat and stops with cessation of blood circulation when the heart dies.
The second consideration is the relation between breath frequency and pulse rate. A passage in The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine states that two pulse beats are felt when one inhales and another two follow when one exhales. Or when an average of 18 breaths are taken per minute, there are 72 pulsations.
Ancient Chinese medical practitioners were enabled by pulse palpating to know whether a disease was ''cold''or''warm''in nature and whether the patient's 'qi' was growing or declining.
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