Reconstructing the Image of Medicine in the Qin and Han Dynasties

Yuqun Liao is a research fellow (Level 2) of Natural Science History with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former director of the Academy’s Institute of Natural Science History. He is a prominent expert in medical history, recognized both in China and abroad. He has been engaged in the study of Chinese medical history, as well as Japanese and Indian medical history, for many years, and has published more than ten academic books. History of Chinese Science and Technology—Medicine (Science Press, 1998) has since been translated into Korean, while Traditional Chinese Medicine (Wuzhou Communication Publishing House, 2006) has been translated into English, Japanese, French, and Arabic.

• Almost nothing: Unimaginably sluggish development of medicine in the Han Dynasty.- The Qin Dynasty having excellent doctors and the Han Dynasty inheriting Qin’s medical system.- Differences between the East and South in Ancient China: the Inheritance of Medical Knowledge from Six States.- Innovation and Development: Various Forms of Medical Development in Different Periods of the Han Dynasty.- Analysis of the “Motivation” behind the Medical Development in the Pre-Qin Period and the Han Dynasty.- The Influence of Foreign Culture.- From the Monographic Study to the Construction of the Whole Medical System.- Study of the Current Version of Huangdi’s Internal Classic.- Study of Bian Que’s Sphygmology.- Time Characteristics of the Medical Theory in Classic of Difficulties.- Before and After the Establishment of Materia Medica Study.- Old Theory of Cold Damage and New Study of Warm Diease.- Relationship between the Establishment of Basic Theory and Morphological Cognition (Anatomy).- Physiology of Circulation and Respiration.- The Theory of Yin and Yang.- Development and Evolution of Pulse Diagnosis Methods.- Establishment of the Theory of Acupuncture-moxibustion Therapy in the Qin and Han Dynasties.- Doctrine of the Five Circuit Phases and Six Atmospheric Influences.- Study of Classic of Yin-yang Eleven Pulse.- Research on Newly Unearthed Medical Literature: Incantation Therapy.- Prescriptions for Fifty-two Diseases and Dosage Form of Early Medicine for Oral Administration.- The Relationship between Taoist Thoughts and Health Preservation.- Conclusion.