Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-27-12 17:26
Hua Tuo - The Highly Skilled Doctor
神醫名萬古,---Shen2 yi ming2 wan4 gu3,
首創五禽戲.---Shou3 chuang wu3 qin2 xi4.
The name of this highly skilled doctor lives forever,
We should be doing exercise like the animals.
http://cd.silverabyss.com/wt.htm
<http://www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1008/1/4/2/100814231.html?coluid=6&kindid=26&
docid=100814231>
Hau Tuo (華佗 145AD to 208AD alias Hua Yuanhua 華元化) was born in the prefecture
of Qiao (譙郡 in the present day county of Bo 亳縣 in Anhui province 安徽
省). The exact year of his birth was not recorded in history. In spite of
that, it was believed that he was born and died during the Later Han Dynasty
(東漢朝25AD to 220AD)..He was a scholar and a mathematician. Many scholars
advised him to become an official, but he ignored their advice. The Later
Han Court wanted to employ him as a high-ranking official too but he declined
the offer.
Hua Tuo was very interested in medicine and he did a lot of research in
herbal medicine. He was the first surgeon in the world to administer anesthetic
on a patient in performing an operation. He used a mixture called Ma Fei
San (麻沸散) to anesthetize a patient before the operation. He believed
a man must do physical exercise in order to build up the constitution of
the body. In doing physical exercise or doing manual labour the blood would
flow smoothly in the blood system of a human's body and cause less sickness.
Hua Tuo traveled from place to place to cure sick people. Chinese history
recorded that he had cured patients in the present day provinces of Anhui,
(安徽省) Shandong (山東省), Henan (河南省), and Jiangsu (江蘇省).
During the civil war of the Later Han Dynasty, in 219AD, Gan Yu (關羽),
a general under the command of Liu Bei (劉備), led an army to attack Fancheng
(樊城 present day in the north of Xiangyang county 襄陽縣 of Hubei province
湖北省). which was under the control of Cao Cao (曹操), the Prime Minister.
During the battle Guan Yu was struck by a poisonous arrow on his shoulder.
Guan Ping (關平), who was the adopted son of Guan Yu and other generals decided
that they should withdraw and go back to their home base in Jingzhou (荊
州 in present day Nanyang Xian 南陽縣). Guan Yu refused to withdraw.
On hearing that Guan Yu was wounded by a poisonous arrow, one day, Hua Tuo
took a small boat from Jiangdong (江東 in present day Jiangsu province)
and crossed the Yangtze River to see Guan Yu. Hua Tuo came to Guan Yu's
camp. Guan Ping asked about Hua Tuo's business. Hua Tuo told Guan Ping that
he heard that the General was wounded by a poisonous arrow and he came to
cure him. Guan Ping led Hua Tuo to his father who was playing Weiqi (圍棋
a game played with black and white pieces on a board) with Ma Liang (馬
良), his advisor. Guan Yu showed Hua Tuo his swollen shoulder. Hua Tuo applied
Ma Fei San on Guan Yu's shoulder before he used a very sharp little knife
and removed the poisonous arrow from Guan Yu's shoulder while Guan Yu continuing
playing Weiqi. It was not painful according to Guan Yu.
One day, Cao Cao (曹操) had a minor stroke. Hau Tuo was requested by officials
to cure Cao Cao. Hua Tuo diagnosed that Cao Cao suffered from rheumatism
in the brain and it required operation on Cao Cao's brain. Cao Cao was furious
thinking that Hua Tuo was trying to kill him. Cao Cao had Hua Tuo arrested
and imprisoned.
In order to preserve what he had researched and done on herbal medicine
Hua Tuo recorded his experience in a book while he was traveling through
the land doctoring. He titled his book "Qing Nang Jing (青囊經)." Hua Tuo
knew that Cao Cao was going to kill him. So he gave the book to a prison
warden named Wu Yayu (吳押獄), to keep and telling him that the book could
save many lives. Wu Yayu thought that if he were to keep the book he could
be implicated in Hau Tuo's case. So he took it home burned the book. Within
a few minutes Hua Tuo's medical book turned to ashes. Hua Tuo died in prison.
Note:
It is believed that the currently book of Zhong Nang Jing (中囊經) used
by the herbalists is alleged to be written not by Hua Tuo but compiled by
an imposter. However, it is still presently being used as a medical book
by the Chinese medical herbalists.
Source:
三國演義 (The Romance of the Three Kingdoms)
羅貫中著 (By Luo Guanzhong)
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Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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