Huà Tuó:introduction about his biography and legend,main books and academic thoughts.
✵華佗 (Huà Tuó), a famous surgeon and master of all branches of medicine, is a famous Taoist Priest who lived mainly at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. He was also known as Huà Fū or Huà YuánHuā. Hua Tuo had performed many major operations, including abdominal anesthesia surgery with herbal anesthesia, and recommended therapeutic gymnastics known as Wu Qin Xi (the Frolics of Five Animals). Hua Tuo went deep into the people's lives, and his footprints are everywhere, all over the Central Plains (comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) and the Jianghuai Plain (the area at the south of the Huai River and north of the Yangtze River). He is a master in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of internal, surgical, gynecology, and pediatric diseases and has created medical miracles. In particular, he was famous for creating Ma Fei San and performing laparotomies.
華佗 (Huà Tuó).
Brief Introduction
漢語名 (Chinese Name):
華佗 (Huà Tuó)
Alias:
元化 (Yuán Huā)
Popular name:
華元化 (Huà Yuán Huà)
English Name:
Hua Tuo, Tuo Hua (Given/Sur Name)
Hometown:
Pei Guo Qiao (Qiao Jun, Yu Zhou, Wei Kingdom)
Dates:
about 145~203 A.D.
Main works:
《青囊經》(Qing Nang Jing, or the Blue-sac Canon),《枕中灸刺經》(Moxibustion and Acupuncture On Pillow Canon),《中藏經》(Zhong Zang Jing, or the Central Treasury Canon)
Representative works:
Zhong Zang Jing (the Central Treasury Canon)
Biography and legends:
華佗 (Huà Tuó), a famous surgeon and master of all branches of medicine, was a famous Taoist Priest at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. He was also known as 華旉 (Huà Fū) or 華元化 (Huà YuánHuā) (year? ~203 A.D.), Huà is his family name, Tuó is his surname, Fū is his another surname, Yuán Huā is his alias or monastic name, and he was native to Pei Guo Qiao (ancient toponym, Qiao Jun, Yuzhou of the Wei Kingdom during the three kingdoms period). Hua Tuo had performed many major operations, including abdominal anesthesia surgery with herbal anesthesia, and recommended therapeutic gymnastics known as Wu Qin Xi (the Frolics of Five Animals). Hua Tuo went deep into the people's lives, and his footprints are everywhere all over the Central Plains (comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) and the Jianghuai Plain (the area at the south of the Huai River and north of the Yangtze River). He is a master in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of internal, surgical, gynecology, and pediatric diseases and has created many medical miracles. In particular, he was famous for creating Ma Fei San and performing laparotomies.
The Hua family was originally famous, and one of its descendants lived in the picturesque village known as Xiaohua Zhuang, its location is about 5 kilograms away in the north of the Qiao County (today's Huatuo Town, Qiaocheng District, Bozhou City, Anhui, China). By the time of Hua Tuo's epoch, the Hua family was in decline, but they placed great expectations on him, for his name and character, the name "Tuo" means loading, while the name "Yuanhua" means transformation. Hua Tuo studied hard since he was a child, read and knew well about ancient books include Shang Shu (the Book of Documents), Shi Jing (the Book of Songs), Zhou Yi (the I Ching, or the Book of Changes), Li Ji (the Book of Rites), and Chun Qiu (the Spring and Autumn Annals), he gradually acquired a high level of cultural accomplishment. Hua Tuo mainly studied the medical classics of the previous dynasties, constantly studying and making progress in practice. At that epoch, Chinese medicine had made some achievements, the ancient books Huangdi Neijing, Nanjing, Shennong Ben Cao Jing, and other medical classics were handed down and widely known one after another. The four diagnostic principles, acupuncture and moxibustion, medicine, and other diagnostic methods had been basically established and widely applied, the inspiring stories of ancient physicians, those who not cared for wealth and prosperity but helped the people with medicine all their lives, not only provided the possibility for Hua Tuo to study medicine but also cultivated his sentiment. Hua Tuo was excellent and skilled in the study of medicine. According to the biography of Hua Tuo in the history book Hou Han Shu (History of the Later Han Dynasty), he "mastered the classics of several kinds, and learned the art of nature-cultivation", especially "adept in prescriptions and formulas". He was called a "miracle physician" by people at that epoch. A modern record states that his dates are about 145~203 A.D., but the credibility of this modern record is questionable, simply because the history book Hou Han Shu. Hua Tuo Zhuan (the History of the Later Han Dynasty: the Legend of Hua Tuo) recorded that "his age is over a hundred years, but he looks still in the prime of life." Except the book Hou Han Shu, the deeds and legends of Hua Tuo were also recorded in ancient books Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing (the ABC Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), San Guo Zhi (the Records of Three Kingdoms), Tai Ping Guang Ji, San Guo Yan Yi (the Romance of Three Kingdom), but all these books not recorded his exact dates, according to clues of historical data, Hua Tuo was "over a hundred years age", and passed by before year 208 A.D., the birth year of Hua Tuo might be around or before year 108 A.D., during the Yan Ping period (reign title of emperor ān Dì of the Eastern Han Dynasty) or before it.
✧As a herbalist, Hua Tuo was excellent at treatment and a wide range of medical skills, good at internal, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, acupuncture, and moxibustion, especially good at surgery. Proficient in internal medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, acupuncture, and moxibustion. Ancient records described that "(Hua Tuo) study and travel to the Xu area, he was master of several classics. He knows and good at method skills of nature-cultivation, looks still young appearance when his age is near to 100 years, folks at that time think he was an immortal." Hua Tuo was also a famous alchemist and Taoist at that time.
✦Hua Tuo traveled to different areas and helped local folks, was well known in the area of the Central Plains (comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) and the Jianghuai Plain (the area at the south of the Huai River and north of the Yangtze River) at that epoch, the epoch Hua Tuo lived was between the end years of the Eastern Han and the beginning years of the Three-Kingdom period, an epoch of warlords. Except for wars, people also suffered from natural calamities, drought, floods, and pestilence. As a famous poet 王粲 (Wáng Càn, year 177~217 A.D.) described the scene in his poem Qī āi Shī (the Seven Mourning Poem): "there is no other scenes, white bones of the dead are scattering in the fields." It seems Hua Tuo knows well about the book from herbalist Zhang Zhongjing, and he compiled his rich medical experience into a medical book, its name was known as Qing Nang Jing (the Blue-sac Canon), but unfortunately, this book did not survive till today and was lost. The ancient book Zhong Zang Jing (the Central Treasury Canon) was once ascribed to him. His medical experience was not entirely lost, because many of his successful students, herbalist Hua Tuo had several disciples, they were known as 樊阿 (Fán ē), who was good at acupuncture and moxibustion, 吳普 (Wú Pǔ), who wrote a herbal classical book named Wu Pu Ben Cao (Wu Pu's Herbal Book), and 李當之 (Llǐ Dāngzhī), the author of Ben Cao Jing (the Classics of Materia Medica), they inherited parts of Hua Tuo's experiences.
✧As one of the ancient herbalists during the Jian An period (196~220 A.D., reign title of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty), Hua Tuo is an outstanding herbalist who lived during the late period of the Eastern Han Dynasty and early period of the Three Kingdoms period, his biographies and stories are both recorded in ancient history books Hou Han Shu (the Book of the Later Han, or the History of the Later Han Dynasty) and San Guo Zhi (the Records of the Three Kingdoms). The book Hou Han Shu recorded that Hua Tuo was especially good at herbal recipes, recorded some stories about his treatment skills and cases, that Hua Tuo's excellent skills of acupuncture, the case of Du You Xu Yi, case of a scorpion bite, case of a parasite, case of Cao Cao's headache (a kind of intermittent headache), Tuo's invention of Wu Qin Xi (the Frolics of Five Animals), an exercise to mime tiger, deer, bear, ape, and bird for health preservation. According to the legend records, his disciple Wu Pu practiced Wu Qin Xi regularly, and his eyesight and hearing are still very good, and his teeth are complete and strong when he is 90 years old.
✦ In his later years, herbalist Hua Tuo was suspected by Cao Cao and was tortured to death in prison. Cao Cao, is a warlord of the Wei Kingdom during the Three-Kingdom period. History books recorded that Cao Cao caught Tou Feng (a serious headache, a kind of intermittent headache), it is a difficult disease. After treatment by Hua Tuo with acupuncture and moxibustion, the symptoms are relieved but not recovered thoroughly, so Cao Cao wants to let Hua Tuo stay with him. According to records of the historical book Hou Han Shu, "Hua Tuo left Cao Cao with the cause that his wife caught a disease and never returned. Cao Cao sent him several letters to call him back, and also command the county lord to invite him again with gifts, but Tuo still would not like to come back. Cao became angry, sent someone to investigate, and found Hua Tuo's wife was actually not sick, so he put him in prison, and tortured him. Xun Yu (a famous counselor of Cao Cao) begged for Hua Tuo and said:'Hua Tuo is really good at skills that relate to people's lives; we should better release him.' But Cao Cao never listened to him, finally killed Hua Tuo."
✧The related story was also recorded by San Guo Zhi, which was written by historian Chén Shòu, it recorded that: "Xún Yù (a very important counselor of Cao Cao) begged for Hua Tuo and said:'Hua Tuo is perfect at skills, which related to folk's lives, should better release him.' but Tai Zu (the reign title of Cao Cao) said, 'no worry, there should be many such kinds of mouse creatures?'. So he tortured Tuo and killed him. Later, when his son Cang Shu (Cao Cao's son) caught a troublesome disease, Tai Zu lamented a misfortune and said, "I regret killing Hua Tuo, it causes my son to die in vain today.'"
✦ Hua Tuo invented a new method of anesthesia named Má Fèi Sǎn. This new method of anesthesia helped Hua Tuo a lot with his surgical treatment, and more patients got cured. Hua Tuo was able to perform surgical interventions such as tumor extirpation and gastrointestinal sutures. As Hua Tuo traveled to many countrysides, he paid attention to collecting effective recipes from different areas, learned a lot of herbal knowledge from local folks too, and used these recipes to help patients. Some stories recorded a case of parasite treatment, it recorded that Hua Tuo met a folk who was suffering from laryngeal obstruction, could not eat anything, and was on the way to see a doctor. The patient was suffering, and his groaning sounded very painful. Hua Tuo checked him with care, then told him that: "You can buy 2 to 3 liangs of Píng Jī (Powdered duckweed) from a pancake seller, add a half-bow of Suān Cù (sour vinegar), mix them together, and eat it, then your suffering will be relieved later." The patient eats Píng Jī and vinegar, then vomits out a parasite that looks like a snake, and then the problem is really settled. When he visited Hua Tuo with this parasite, he saw there were many parasites hanging on the wall of Hua Tuo's house, Tuo treated many patients with this recipe. An ancient herbal classic recorded many blends under the title of Hua Tuo to treat parasite problems, such as the recipe for the anal parasite, for nine parasites, ascarid, taenia, pinworm, etc.
References:
1.Huà Tuó:introduction about his biography and legend,main books and academic thoughts.
✵華佗 (Huà Tuó), a famous surgeon and master of all branches of medicine, is a famous Taoist Priest who lived mainly at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. He was also known as Huà Fū or Huà YuánHuā. Hua Tuo had performed many major operations, including abdominal anesthesia surgery with herbal anesthesia, and recommended therapeutic gymnastics known as Wu Qin Xi (the Frolics of Five Animals). Hua Tuo went deep into the people's lives, and his footprints are everywhere, all over the Central Plains (comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) and the Jianghuai Plain (the area at the south of the Huai River and north of the Yangtze River). He is a master in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of internal, surgical, gynecology, and pediatric diseases and has created medical miracles. In particular, he was famous for creating Ma Fei San and performing laparotomies.
華佗 (Huà Tuó), a famous surgeon and master of all branches of medicine, was a famous Taoist Priest at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. He was also known as 華旉 (Huà Fū) or 華元化 (Huà YuánHuā) (year? ~203 A.D.), Huà is his family name, Tuó is his surname, Fū is his another surname, Yuán Huā is his alias or monastic name, and he was native to Pei Guo Qiao (ancient toponym, Qiao Jun, Yuzhou of the Wei Kingdom during the three kingdoms period). Hua Tuo had performed many major operations, including abdominal anesthesia surgery with herbal anesthesia, and recommended therapeutic gymnastics known as Wu Qin Xi (the Frolics of Five Animals). Hua Tuo went deep into the people's lives, and his footprints are everywhere all over the Central Plains (comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River) and the Jianghuai Plain (the area at the south of the Huai River and north of the Yangtze River). He is a master in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of internal, surgical, gynecology, and pediatric diseases and has created many medical miracles. In particular, he was famous for creating Ma Fei San and performing laparotomies.
✧As one of the ancient herbalists during the Jian An period (196~220 A.D., reign title of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty), Hua Tuo is an outstanding herbalist who lived during the late period of the Eastern Han Dynasty and early period of the Three Kingdoms period, his biographies and stories are both recorded in ancient history books Hou Han Shu (the Book of the Later Han, or the History of the Later Han Dynasty) and San Guo Zhi (the Records of the Three Kingdoms). The book Hou Han Shu recorded that Hua Tuo was especially good at herbal recipes, recorded some stories about his treatment skills and cases, that Hua Tuo's excellent skills of acupuncture, the case of Du You Xu Yi, case of a scorpion bite, case of a parasite, case of Cao Cao's headache (a kind of intermittent headache), Tuo's invention of Wu Qin Xi (the Frolics of Five Animals), an exercise to mime tiger, deer, bear, ape, and bird for health preservation. According to the legend records, his disciple Wu Pu practiced Wu Qin Xi regularly, and his eyesight and hearing are still very good, and his teeth are complete and strong when he is 90 years old.
✦ In his later years, herbalist Hua Tuo was suspected by Cao Cao and was tortured to death in prison. Cao Cao, is a warlord of the Wei Kingdom during the Three-Kingdom period. History books recorded that Cao Cao caught Tou Feng (a serious headache, a kind of intermittent headache), it is a difficult disease. After treatment by Hua Tuo with acupuncture and moxibustion, the symptoms are relieved but not recovered thoroughly, so Cao Cao wants to let Hua Tuo stay with him. According to records of the historical book Hou Han Shu, "Hua Tuo left Cao Cao with the cause that his wife caught a disease and never returned. Cao Cao sent him several letters to call him back, and also command the county lord to invite him again with gifts, but Tuo still would not like to come back. Cao became angry, sent someone to investigate, and found Hua Tuo's wife was actually not sick, so he put him in prison, and tortured him. Xun Yu (a famous counselor of Cao Cao) begged for Hua Tuo and said:'Hua Tuo is really good at skills that relate to people's lives; we should better release him.' But Cao Cao never listened to him, finally killed Hua Tuo."
✦ Hua Tuo invented a new method of anesthesia named Má Fèi Sǎn. This new method of anesthesia helped Hua Tuo a lot with his surgical treatment, and more patients got cured. Hua Tuo was able to perform surgical interventions such as tumor extirpation and gastrointestinal sutures. As Hua Tuo traveled to many countrysides, he paid attention to collecting effective recipes from different areas, learned a lot of herbal knowledge from local folks too, and used these recipes to help patients. Some stories recorded a case of parasite treatment, it recorded that Hua Tuo met a folk who was suffering from laryngeal obstruction, could not eat anything, and was on the way to see a doctor. The patient was suffering, and his groaning sounded very painful. Hua Tuo checked him with care, then told him that: "You can buy 2 to 3 liangs of Píng Jī (Powdered duckweed) from a pancake seller, add a half-bow of Suān Cù (sour vinegar), mix them together, and eat it, then your suffering will be relieved later." The patient eats Píng Jī and vinegar, then vomits out a parasite that looks like a snake, and then the problem is really settled. When he visited Hua Tuo with this parasite, he saw there were many parasites hanging on the wall of Hua Tuo's house, Tuo treated many patients with this recipe. An ancient herbal classic recorded many blends under the title of Hua Tuo to treat parasite problems, such as the recipe for the anal parasite, for nine parasites, ascarid, taenia, pinworm, etc.
