Introduction to Sun Simiao
Author: Dr. Lee
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Time: 2010/11/20 16:50:54
Sun Simiao (581-682) was the greatest doctor in the Tang Dynasty. When he was young, Sun Simiao was very intelligent but frequently suffered from diseases. He was well educated and read books of various schools, including medicine. Two Emperors of the Tang Dynasty invited him to work in the Imperial Court or grant hi titles, but he refused to accept. All through his life, he lived in the mountains, practiced and studied medicine. He lived for over one hundred years and was worshiped as king ofmedicine.
Sun Simiao wrote two books, Qian Jin Yao Fang (Golden Prescriptions) and Qian Jin Yi Fang (Supplement to Golden Prescriptions), thirty volumes each. These two books contained 6500 prescriptions and covered the aspects of life cultivation, acupuncture, moxibustion, medicines and other related fields. So Qian Jin Yao Fang (Golden Prescriptions) was both a comprehensive book of medicine and an encyclopedia of medicine.
Qian Jin Yao Fang (Golden Prescriptions) was different from other medical books in content arrangement. For instance, he put the part about prevention and treatment of women diseases during pregnancy and nursing of the newborn at the beginning of the first volume. Such an arrangement may indicate that Sun Simiao respected women or advocated the concept of protecting and caring life from birth.
Besides, Sun Simiao also discussed extensively about doctors should cultivate their mind. He said a doctor should be well learnt, hard working, responsible for sympathetic with the patients; regard patients as his relatives, avoid being self-proud and never slander other doctors. He wrote an article about the morality for doctors known as Da Yi Jing Cheng (Sincerity and Devotion of Great Doctors) which was as great and important as the oath took by Hippocrates of Cos (c. 460-377 BC). Wai Tai Mi Yao (Secret Prescriptions Formulated by An Official) compiled by Wang Tao (c. 670-755), composed of 40 volumes, divided into 1104 chapters and containing 6000 prescription, was another great book of medicine in Tang Dynasty.
