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TCM training: the history of TCM

TCM, a great treasure-house of culture, is an indispensable part of the splendid classic Chinese culture. In its long development, it has absorbed the quintessence of classical Chinese philosophy, Culture and science, and summarized the experience of Chinese people in fighting against diseases. TCM is rich in theory and practical in treatment. Though modern medicine is advanced, TCM is still widely used, because of its significant clinical curative effect. TCM is understood and adopted in more and more countries and regions in the world.
Ⅰ TCM originated in antiquity. Early in the primitive society, human being began to accumulate medical knowledge. In Chinese classics, there are many records concerning medicine or drugs, such as “Fuxi made nine needles” and “Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and was poisoned seventy times in a single day”. These records indicate that Chinese ancestors made great efforts to explore medicine. In the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States, China was greatly advanced in politics, economy, science and culture. In medicine, disease was well understood and medical experience was further enriched. Such a rapid development in medicine made it possible to develop a new theoretical system of medicine by combing the medical knowledge with latest theoretical ideas. The publication of Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine), the earliest extant medical canon in China, symbolized the formation of a new theoretical system of medicine. Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine) collected great quantity of materials concerning medical practice done by previous generations, summarized and synthesized knowledge of astronomy, geography, biology and meterology in the light of yinyang and five elements. Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine) expounded physiology and pathology of human body as well as diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease, establishing a unique theoretical system for TCM, laying a solid foundation for theoretical and clinical development of TCM.
Ⅱ Since publication of Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine), doctors of all generations have made great efforts to further enrich and improve TCM theory.
Nanjing (Canon of Difficult Issues), another important medical classic after Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine) expounded the main contents of Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine) and supplemented what Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine) lacked, such as “taking pulse only at the area of cunkou” and “the left is kidney and the right is mingmen (life gate)” which exerted great impact on the theoretical development of TCM.
Ⅲ  In the last years of the East Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing, based on Huangdi Neijing (Huangdi’s Canon of Medicine) and Nanjing (Canon of Difficult Issues) as well as his clinical practice, wrote Shanghan Zabing Lun (Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Disease and Miscellaneous Diseases), the first monograph on clinical medicine. Shanghan Zabing Lun (Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Disease and Miscellaneous Diseases) contributed much to the formation and development of syndrome differentiation and treatment. Taking syndrome differentiation of the six meridians (taiyang, shaoyang, yangming, taiyin, shaoyin and jueyin) and syndrome differentiation of the viscera as the principles for differentiation of syndrome, Zhang Zhongjing formulated effective therapeutic methods and prescriptions for the diagnosis and treatment of exogenous and endogenous diseases, which are still widely used in and out of China now. Zhang Zhongjing was worshiped as the “sage of medicine” by the later generations.
Ⅳ  In the Jin Dynasty, Wang Shuhe wrote Maijing (Canon of Pulse), the first monograph on diagnostics of TCM in China; in the Sui Dynasty, Chao Yuanfang compiled the first monograph on pathogenesis and symptom logy; in the Tang Dynasty, Wang Tao wrote Waitai Miyao (Medical Secrets of An Official) and Sun Simiao wrote Beiji Qianjin Yaofang (Valuable Prescriptions for Emergency) which thoroughly summarized the theoretical study and clinical practice made before the Tang Dynasty.
In the Jin and Yuan Dynasty, Liu Wansu Believed that fire and heat were main causes of diseases, and diseases should be treated with drugs cold and cool in nature. So he was know as the school of cold and cool. Zhang Congzheng believed that all diseases were caused by exogenous pathogenic factors and advocated that pathogenic factors should be eliminated by means of diaphoresis, emesis and purgation. Elimination of pathogenic factors ensures the restoration of the healthy qi and cure of disease, so he was known as the school of purgation. Li Gao believed that internal impairment of the spleen and stomach would bring about various diseases and emphasize that the most important thing was warm and invigorate the spleen and stomach, so he was the founder of the school for reinforcing the earth. Zhu Zhenheng believed that yang is usually redundant while yin is frequently deficient, and yin deficiency and fire-exuberance were the commonly encountered syndromes. Zhu Zhenheng is usually used the prescriptions for nourishing yin and reducing fire. So he was known as the school of nourishing yin. They were called four great doctors in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties.
Ⅴ In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, wenbing (seasonal febrile disease), a new branch in TCM appeared. Wu Youke in the Ming Dynasty first put forwardd the idea that the cause of pestilence was different form liuyin (six abnormal climatic factors). He believed that liuyin (six abnormal climatic factors) is a special pathogenic factor in the natural world. In the Qing Dynasty, Ye Tianshi, Xue Shengbai, Wu Jutong and Wang Mengying made extensive study on the route of infection, pathogenesis and pathological changes of seasonal febrile disease through clinical practice, establishing syndrome differentiation of wei (defensive qi), qi, ying (nutrient qi), xue (blood), and differentiation of sanjiao (triple energizer). This is a specialty of TCM.