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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 edition. Excerpt: ... MEDICAL PRACTICE AMONG THE CHINESE "And happed to hear the land's practitioners. Stepped in conceit sublimed by ignorance, Prattle fantastically on disease, Its cause and cure." "Epistle of Karshish"--if. Browning. THE beginnings of medicine in China are in the dim distance of 4500 years ago, and its chief medical classic dates from the third or fourth century B.C. This is a book on medicine and physical science, treating of the human body, the two principles " yin " and " yang," the five elements, the circulation of the five elemental vapours in the body, diseases, acu-puncture, and so on. Other books were added to this later, but the theories as to the cause and cure of disease have been stereotyped for many centuries. As long as the five elements of which the body is composed--metal, wood, water, fire, and earth--are in equilibrium, health is enjoyed; when they are out of proportion disease ensues, and the object of treatment is to bring them back to their normal relations. Medicines are classified according to the five colours and the five tastes, corresponding to the five elements and the five organs of the body. All treatment must accord with the various cycles of five, of which the following are a few: Elements--metal wood water fire earth Colours--white green black red Tastes--acrid sour salt bitter Organs of the body--lungs liver kidneys heart Productions of the organ--breath ligaments bones blood Senses--nose eyes ears tongue mouth Directions--wuot east north south middle yellow sweet spleen I stomach muscles For instance, if the heart is feeble there must be too little fire; fire is produced by wood, which corresponds with the liver; therefore to strengthen the heart the liver must be toned up, the medicine should be sour and...

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