The beginnings of traditional Chinese medicine are obscure. It is believed however to have developed like the Indian. Ayurveda system from folk medicine and as in Ayurveda there is no lack of mythical explanations. The three legendary Emperors Shen Nung, Huang Di and Fu Hsi are traditionally believed to have been the originators of Chinese medicine. The classical book on traditional Chinese Medicine is the Huang Di Nei Jing, meaning "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine and this work is ascribed to Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor) who is believed to have lived about 2697 - 2596 B.C. It is more likely however that is a collective work written about the third century B.C and antedated to enhance its value and to give it a stamp of authority. It is presented as a dialogue between the Yellow Emperor and his prime minister-physician, Chi Po. The book is in two sections, first Su Wen, contains the principles of traditional Chinese medicine and the second Ling Shu describes the various therapeutic processes.
There are four basic therapeutic methods in traditional Chinese medicine.
1. Herbal Therapy
2. Moxibustion i.e heating or burning certain areas of the body with the powdered leaves of the moxa plant (Latin: arternesia vulgaris)
3. Acupuncture. (Latin: Acus-needle, puncture-to penetrate) Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhen-Jue) are the most ancient and characteristic therapeutic techniques of Chinese Medicine.
4. Surgery. This method of treatment was used only as a last resort, as according to the Confucian doctrine the human body was considered to be sacred. Surgery however was used extensively in treating war injuries and in a more traditional procedure to produce eunuch for the imperial court.
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