The Mythical Sovereigns

Fu Xi, 2800s BCE, was the first of the mythical

Sovereigns of ancient China. He is a cultural hero and is reputed to be the inventor of writing, fishing and trapping. In addition, he is credited with the creation of therapeutic techniques with stone needles.

Bian Que, who was known as one of the "God of Chinese Medicine," lived in the 5th Century, BCE. Legend tells us that he had come across a group of people whom were making sacrifices. When he found them they were crying while huddling over the local leader's boy whom they believed to be dead. He asked permission to examine the boy, using palpation and pulse diagnosis. He decided that the boy was in a coma and he revived him with acupuncture and moxibustion.

Huato is a renowned 2nd century, BCE, who postulated that the heart pumped blood through the body; William Harvey concluded this in 1628.

Sun Si Miao whom lived to be over 100 years old, was credited as being the father of gynecology. He was a child prodigy in Chinese Medicine and was very disciplined in his studies of the classic literature. He wrote the basic requirements on being a "great physician." This included acupuncture, moxibustion, pulse diagnosis, and herbal medicine. In addition to this, he stressed that the great physician master divination techniques, including astrology, and the I-Ching. He also stressed that the great physician, study throughout their entire life the general texts such as Confucian classics, Buddhist sutras and the Taoist philosophers, to cultivate compassion, humaneness and righteousness.

He is credited with writing the Bei ji qian jin yao fang (Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand in Gold for Every Emergency).

Kendal, Donald E., The Dao of Chinese Medicine, Oxford University Press, 2002 16-23

Wilms, Sabine, Yang Zhi Hou's Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion)Vol 1. , The Chinese Medicine Database, 2010 10-11.