A PIONEER IN MEDICINE

(Hua Tuo)

Hua Tuo was a famous doctor who lived 1,700 years ago during the Three Kingdoms Period. He not only read widely but travelled extensively in his medical practice. His keen powers of observation, tireless penchant for research and ability to accurately sum up his experiences enabled him to perfect his healing art ceaselessly.

Like Bianque* before him, he had a talent for making diagnosis by observing the patients' outward symptoms. Once he found a group of people drinking in a tavern and was struck by the complexion of one of them. He went over to ask the man how he felt. The reply was that he felt quite alright, just as usual. Hua warned him that he was seriously ill and that he must not drink any more. The man died soon afterwards.

A versatile practitioner, he was expert in acupuncture. The discovery of jiaji, an acupoint on the spine frequently used today, is attributed to him. He wrote Hua Tuo's Book on Acupuncture, which remained one of the most authoritative works on the subject for many years after his death.

One of his great contributions was the development of an oral anaesthetic for use in surgical operations. The prescription consists chiefly of datura blossoms and certain other wild poisonous herbs, all of which grow abundantly in China's southern regions. His method later spread to the Arab world.

A famous patient operated on by him was General Guan Yu (see stories from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms). In a battle Guan Yu had been injured in the arm by a lethally poisonous arrow. Invited to give treatment, Hua Tuo cut open the lesion and scraped the poison off the bone. All the while, the general went on playing chess without a wince. His wound soon healed and the patient suffered no disability whatever.

With the use of his oral anaesthetic, he is said to have performed many successful major operations involving internal organs. He must have had a fine grasp of anatomy and physiology.

He was also an early exponent of physical exercise for its curative and preventive value. By observing and imitating the movements of certain animals (like the tiger, bear, monkey and deer) and birds, he designed a set of callisthenics which he called "The Game of Five Animals". Whit this, he cured certain chronic diseases, notably disorders of the digestive system, and the game became quite popular in certain regions of the country during his lifetime.

But this giant in Chinese medicine did not come to a happy end. Called in by Cao Cao, the Prime Minister, to treat his migraine, the doctor relieved him of his pain instantly with the application of a single acupuncture needle at the effective point. Cao Cao wanted him to remain at court as his personal physician. Unwilling to spend his time in the service of a handful of people, Hua Tuo declined on the excuse of an ailing mother who needed his constant attention. When Cao Cao found out this was an evasion, he had him arrested and finally put to death.

While in prison, the doctor asked his gaoler to help smuggle his medical works to the outside world for the benefit of the people. Unable to persuade the gaoler, who was afraid to take the risk, Hua Tuo committed his works to the flames. This was a great loss to the medical heritage of the country.

** Alias Qin Yueren, a famous physician of the Warring States Period (403 - 221 B. C.)