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Bianque

Bianque, whose surname was Qin and original given name was Yueren, was born in Bohai (now Renqiu County of Hebei Province) in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period (770-221BC). As a child, he learned medicine from an old folk doctor, Mr. Changsang. He mastered Mr. Changsang's diagnosis method and treatment techniques and became the most famous doctor in his time, and was an outstanding representative of medical experts in the Pre-Qin Period (before 221BC). He could diagnose diseases accurately, cure patients miraculously and bring the dying back to life,just like the legendary god doctor Bianque. Thus, people simply called him Bianque. Gradually, many people forgot his real name, Qin Yueren.

After Bianque became famous, he toured all the kingdoms to cure diseases for people, and his areas of treatment often changed according to different regions. In Handan,he heard that most patients were women, so he worked as a "Daixia Doctor" (doctor specializing in gynecology);when he passed by Luoyang,he saw that elders were highly revered there, so he became a doctor mainly treating diseases of the old such as the trouble in the ear or the eye;when he reached Xianyang, he learned that people of the Qin Kingdom regarded children as important,so he became a pediatrician. In his practice of diagnosis,he had already applied the comprehensive diagnostic techniques of traditional Chinese medicines, namely, the four diagnostic methods: observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, and pulse-feeling and palpation. "Observation" means looking at the appearance and tongue fur, "auscultation and olfaction" refers to listening to the sound of the patient's speech and breath, "interrogation" refers to asking about the patient's symptoms, and "pulse-feeling and palpation" is just in the literal meaning. At that time, Bianque called those techniques "Wangse (observing the color of the patient), Tingsheng (listening to the voice), Xieying (drawing a primary conclusion of the symptoms) and Qiemai (feeling the pulse)". Bianque's ways of treatment varied,such as acupuncture, adhibition of medicine, operation, medicine taking and so on. But Bianque was assassinated by the Dayiling (royal officer in charge of medicine) of the Qin Kingdom, Li Xi, who envied him very much.

Bianque was memorized and respected by people forever. Until now,in many of the places he had been to, there are memorial sites preserved, such as "Native Place of Bianque", "Village of Bianque", "Relics of Bianque", "Temple of Bianque", "Mountain of Doctor Bianque", etc., in Hebei, Henan, Shandong and other provinces; a highly-skilled doctor is always praised as "Bianque coming to life again".

Bianque had nine disciples in his life, and it was because of these disciples that his high medical skill had been handed down. Till the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), his well-preserved works included nine volumes of Internal Canon of Medicine, twelve volumes of External Canon of Medicine, and thirteen volumes of Bianque's Prescriptions Approved by First Yellow Emperor, etc. The extant medical book of the Han Dynasty, Canon of Medicine of Difficult Diseases , is a work compiled on the basis of Bianque's medical skill, especially his knowledge on pulse-taking. Many of the basic theories of the traditional Chinese medicine, which is still playing a great role in the health service of mankind, are closely related to Bianque.

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Chao Yuanfang
Chao Yuanfang lived in a period from the end of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) to the beginning of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). His native place and dates of birth and death are unknown. Legend has it that he was from Xihua. Chao Yuanfang was most active during the Daye reign (605-615) of the Sui Dynasty, when he worked as an imperial physician, and made many brilliant achievements.
Chunyu Yi
Chunyu Yi was from Linzi in the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD). He was born in 205BC, but the year of his death is unknown. As he once worked as a Taicang Zhang (an official in charge of tax and salary), he also had the honorary title of "Taicang Gong" (Sir. Taicang), simply as "Cang Gong".
Ge Hong
Ge Hong (284-354),was from Danyang County (now in Jiangsu Province) of the Jin Dynasty (265-420 ). His grandfather Ge Xi used to be a "Dahonglu" (a big official) of the Eastern Wu Kingdom in the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-265).
Huangfu Mi
Huangfu Mi was born in the year 215 in a poor farmhouse in Anding Chaona (now Lingtai of Gansu Province) of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). He was first named as Jing, later changed into Mi, with a style name of Shi'an. When he was young, he took the famous scholar, Xi Tan, in his village as his teacher, and several years later, he became a well-known scholar.
Hua Tuo
Hua Tuo,with a style name Yuanhua, also called Fu,was born approximately at the beginning of the second century AD and died before the 13th year of the Jian'an reign (208). He was from Qiao County of the Pei Kingdom (now Bo County of Anhui Province). He was an eminent medical scientist in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), especially good at surgical operation using anesthesia.
Li Shizhen
Li Shizhen(1518-1593),whose style name was Dongbi, also called Binhushanren (Person of the Mountain by the Lake) in his late years, was from Jizhou (now Jichun County of Hubei Province) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). His grandfather was a doctor, and his father Li Yanwen (called "Yuechi") was also a famous doctor in the local place. As a child, Li Shizhen began to read some medical classics systematically, and sometimes went together with his father, treating diseases and copying prescriptions.
Sun Simiao
Sun Simiao (581-682) was a great medical scientist of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). His native place was Jingzhao Huayuan (now Sunjiayuan in Hui County, Shaanxi Province).
Wang Bing
Wang Bing,self-named "Qixuanzi", a famous doctor in the mid Tang Dynasty (618-907), lived roughly in the time from the Jingyun Period to the Zhenyuan Period (710-804) of the Tang Dynasty. His native place is unknown. He worked as a Taipu Ling (official title in the court, in charge of the emperor's carriages and horses) during the reign of Yingzhong (762-763) of the Tang Dynasty,hence, he was also called "Wang Taipu".
Wang Shuhe
Wang Shuhe, also named "Wang Xi", was from Gaoping (now Gaoping County, Shanxi Province) of the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). He lived around the third century, but his accurate dates of birth and death are unknown. He was born into a noble family. The superior living and learning environment offered Wang Shuhe good education since his childhood. Later, because of frequent wars and turmoil, the family moved to Jingzhou of Hubei Province.
Zhang Zhongjing
Zhang Zhongjing was born in Nieyang of Nan County (now Rangdong Town in Deng County, Henan Province; or another saying, Nanyang City, Henan Province) of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). It is said that he was once conferred an honorary title by the court and worked as the satrap of Changsha. Zhang Zhongjing was fond of medical science since childhood,and learned medicine from Zhang Bozu in the same county when he was young. After many years of hard learning and clinical practice,he won high prestige and became an outstanding medical scientist in China.

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