Ancient Chinese Medical Advances Research Paper

780 Words4 Pages

During the Ancient Chinese time period (1700 BC - 220 AD) many things for the medical world came about. Many doctors invented things and were recognized for their work. There were many important medical advances during this time period as well as new different ways to medicate people to try to heal them. Although people didn’t live a very long life like people today do, there were still way that doctors kept people alive. There were many doctors during this era who did incredible things to improve the medical field. One doctor's name was Ye Tianshi, he was famous for the thesis on febrile disease (Having a fever, but cause is not certain). Another doctor was Yi Yin, he was credited with improving decoction methods and extending their application. …show more content…

Ancient Chinese used a Pharmacopeia (drug directory) to record medications they used that were based mainly on the use of herbs. Doctors also used acupuncture (puncture of the skin by needles) as a treatment for patients to relieve pain and congestion. Another medical advance that the doctors used was moxibustion which was, a powdered substance that was placed on the skin and then burned to cause a blister to treat disease. Doctors during this time monitored the patient's pulse to determine the condition of the body. These advancements changed what the medical field is today. These treatments were the common treatments that were used during this …show more content…

Some common diseases during this time that doctors tried to find a cure for were: Chicken Pox (itchy, blister-like rash on the skin), Typhus (Abdominal pain. Backache. Dull red rash that begins on the middle of the body and spreads. Extremely high fever 105 - 106 degrees Fahrenheit, which may last up to 2 weeks), Influenza (fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue.), Typhoid (vary depending upon the type of thyroid disease), Malaria (chills, fever, and sweating, usually occurring a few weeks after being bitten), Measles (don't appear until 10 to 14 days after exposure. They include cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever, and a red, blotchy skin rash) , Tuberculosis (When symptoms do occur, they usually include cough sometimes blood-tinged, weight loss, night sweats, and fever), Yellow Fever (Mild cases cause fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Serious cases may cause fatal heart, liver, and kidney conditions), Smallpox (In addition to flu-like symptoms, patients also experience a rash that appear first on the face, hands and forearms, and then later appears on the trunk), Bubonic Plague (swollen lymph nodes, which can be as large as chicken eggs, in the groin, armpit, or neck. They may be tender and warm. Others include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle