Text A Hua Tuo
导 读
华佗：（145—208）东汉沛国谯（今亳州市）人，字元化，著名医学家。少时曾在外游学，钻研医术而不求仕途。精通内、妇、儿、针灸各科，外科尤为擅长，行医足迹遍及安徽、山东、河南、江苏等地。他曾用“麻沸散”使病人麻醉后施行剖腹手术，是世界医学史上应用全身麻醉进行手术治疗的最早记载。华佗又仿虎、鹿、熊、猿、鸟等禽兽的动态创作名为“五禽之戏”的体操，教导人们强身健体。今亳州市有“华佗庵”等遗迹。
Hua Tuo was a renowned Chinese physician during the Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period.The Records of Three Kingdoms and Book of the Later Han record Hua as the first person in China to use anesthesia during surgery.He used a general anesthetic combining wine with a herbal concoction called Mafeisan （麻沸散 lit “cannabis boil powder”）.Besides being respected for expertise in surgery and anesthesia，Hua Tuo was famous for his abilities in acupuncture，moxibustion，herbal medicine，and medical Daoyin exercises.He developed the Wuqinxi （五禽戏 “Exercise of the Five Animals”） from studying movements of the tiger，deer，bear，monkey，and crane.
The oldest extant biographies of Hua Tuo are found in the official Chinese histories for the Eastern Han （25—220） and Three Kingdoms （220—280） eras.The 3rd-century Sanguozhi （《三国志》） and 5th-century Hou Hanshu （《后汉书》） record that Hua was from the district of Qiao （谯） in the state of Pei （沛），and studied Chinese classics throughout the Xuzhou region （modern Jiangsu and Shandong）.Hua refused employment offers from high-ranking officials and chose to practice medicine.
Hua Tuo had mastered the technique for nourishing one’s nature.Although his contemporaries thought that he must have been a hundred years old,he still looked hale and hardy.Hua Tuo was also highly skilled in prescribing medicines.In curing illnesses,the decoctions that he prepared required only a few ingredients.His mind was so adept at dividing up and compounding according to the right proportions that he did not have to weigh the different components of his medicines with a balance.Once the decoction was boiled thoroughly it could be drunk.Hua Tuo would tell the patient how to take the medicine and then would go away,after which the patient’s condition would promptly improve.
If Hua Tuo employed moxibustion,he would only burn punk in one or two places and in each place he only made seven or eight separate cauterizations,to which the disease would rapidly respond during the course of its elimination.If he employed acupuncture,it was also only in one or two places.As he instated the needle,he would instruct the patient,“I am going to guide the point to such-and-such a spot.When you feel it reach there,tell me.” As soon as the patient told him that the point had already reached the designated spot,he would withdraw the needle and the sickness would likewise be virtually alleviated.
If a sickness were concentrated internally where the effect of acupuncture needles and medicines could not reach it,Hua Tuo would recognize that it was necessary to operate.In such cases,he would have his patients drink a solution of morphean powder whereupon they would immediately become intoxicated as though dead and completely insensate.Then he could make an incision and remove the diseased tissues.If the disease were in the intestines,he would sever them and wash them out,after which he would stitch the abdomen together and rub on an ointment.After a period of about four or five days,there would be no more pain.The patient would gradually regain full consciousness and within a month he would return to normal.
Hua Tuo’s corresponding Hou Hanshu biography explains this mafeisan “cannabis boiling powder” decoction was dissolved in jiu （酒）.Hua’s prescription for mafeisan anesthetic liquor was lost or destroyed，along with all of his writings.The Book of Sui lists five medical books attributed to Hua Tuo and his disciples，but none are extant.
The subsequent portion of Hua Tuo’s biography in the Sanguozhi lists sixteen medical cases: ten internal medicine,three surgical,two gynecological,and one pediatric case.Thus,writes Fan,“Hua Tuo’s treatment of diseases was centered on internal medicine,but also included surgery,gynecology and pediatrics.He removed parasites,performed abortions and treated ulcers,sores and analgesia.”
Cao Cao (155—220),the tyrannical founder of the Cao Wei kingdom,was Hua Tuo’s best-known patient,and suffered from chronic headaches (possibly caused by a brain tumor).Cao Cao heard about Hua Tuo and summoned him to court where he henceforth was often in attendance.Cao Cao suffered from blustery headaches.Whenever an attack came on,he would become dizzy and confused.Hua Tuo would employ acupuncture treatment at the diaphragmatic transport insertion point and the condition would be alleviated as soon as the procedure was carried out.Cao ordered Hua to work as his personal physician,which Hua resented.
Examples of Hua Tuo superlative skills are in general of this sort.However,since he was originally a scholar,he often regretted that he was looked upon as a physician by profession.Later,when Cao Cao took personal control of the affairs of state,his sickness intensified and he had Hua Tuo attend him exclusively.“It will be difficult to heal you in the near term but if we maintain a program of treatment over a longer period,it will be possible to extend your life-span.”
In order to avoid treating Cao,Hua repeatedly made excuses that his wife was ill,but Cao discovered the deception and ordered Hua’s execution.Xun Yu,an advisor of Cao Cao petitioned on behalf of the physician but in vain.Hua Tuo had been far away from home for a long time and wished to return,so he said,“I just received a letter from home and would like to go back temporarily.” After he reached home,excusing himself on the grounds of his wife’s illness,he requested several extension of his leave and did not come back.Cao Cao repeatedly wrote letters to Hua Tuo calling him back,and he issued imperial orders to the commandery and district authorities to send Hua Tuo back.Proud of his ability and finding it distasteful to wait upon others for a living,Hua Tuo continued to procrastinate in setting off on the journey.Cao Cao became very angry and dispatched men to go and investigate.If Hua Tuo’s wife were really sick,Cao Cao would present him with forth bushels of lentils and be lenient in setting a date when his leave would expire.But if Hua Tuo were prevaricating,then he would be apprehended and escorted back.Consequently,Hua Tuo was handed over to the prison where after interrogation,he confessed his guilt.Interceding on behalf of Hua Tuo,Xun Yu said,“Hua Tuo’s techniques are truly effective and people’s lives are dependent upon them.It is fitting that you be clement toward him.” “Don’t worry,” said Cao Cao.“Do you think there aren’t any other rats like him under heaven?”
Hua Tuo wrote down his medical techniques while awaiting execution，but destroyed his Qingnang Shu （青囊书，which became a Classical Chinese term for “medical practices text”）.Where upon the investigation against Hua Tuo was concluded with the announcement of the death penalty.When Hua Tuo was about to be executed he brought out a scroll with writing on it and handed it over to the jailer，saying，“This can preserve people’s lives.” Fearful of the law，the prison subaltern would not accept it，nor did Hua Tuo force it upon him.Instead，he asked for a fire in which he burned the scroll.
This loss to traditional Chinese medicine was irreplaceable.Veith notes that,“Unfortunately,Hua Tuo’s works were destroyed; his surgical practices fell into disuse,with the exception of his method of castration,which continued to be practiced.Due to the religious stigma attached to the practice of surgery,the social position accorded to the surgeon became increasingly lower and thus made a revival of Chinese surgery impossible.”
Cao Cao later regretted executing Hua when his son Cao Chong (196—208),a child prodigy who discovered Archimedes’ principle,died from illness.After Hua Tuo’s death,Cao Cao’s blustery headaches did not go away.“Hua Tuo could have cured me,” said Cao Cao,“but the scoundrel prolonged my illness,wishing thereby to enhance his own position.Thus,even if I hadn’t put the knave to death,he never would have eradicated the source of my sickness.” Later on,when his beloved son Cao Chong was critically ill,Cao Cao said with a sigh,“I regret having put Hua Tuo to death and causing my son to die in vain.”
The Sanguozhi does not specify Hua Tuo’s exact date of death，but since Cao Chong died in 208，Hua Tuo could not have lived past that year.In later times，a set of 34 par vertebral acupuncture points was named the “Hua Tuo Jiaji” （华佗夹脊） in his honor.Hua is considered a shenyi （神医 “divine doctor”） and is worshiped as a medicinal god.“Hua Tuo Zaishi” （华佗再世 “Hua Tuo Reincarnated”） is a term of respect for a highly skilled doctor.
Words & Expressions
1.physician[fi'ziʃən] n.医师；内科医师
2.anesthesia[，ænis'θiːziə ] n.［医］麻醉；［医］麻木（等于anaesthesia）
3.concoction[kən'kɔkʃən] n.调和；混合；调和物
4.moxibustion[，mɔksi'bʌstʃən] n.［医］艾灸
5.extant[ek'stænt，'ekstənt] adj.现存的；［古］显著的
6.hale[heil] adj.强壮的；矍铄的（尤指老人）
7.prescribe[pris'kraib] vi.规定；开药方
vt.规定；开处方
8.decoction[di'kɔkʃən] n.煎煮；煎熬的药；煮出的汁
9.adept['ædept，ə'dept] adj.熟练的；擅长……的
n.内行；能手
10.punk[pʌŋk] n.废物；小阿飞
adj.无用的；低劣的
11.cauterization n.［医］烧烙术
12.instate[in'steit] vt.任命
13.insensate[in'senseit，-sit] adj.无感觉的；无情的；无生命的
14.incision[in'siʒən] n.切开；切口；雕刻；切割
15.intestine[in'testin] adj.内部的；国内的
n.肠
16.sever['sevə] vt.割断；断绝；分开；使分离
vi.断；裂开；分离
17.abdomen['æbdəmən] n.腹部；下腹；腹腔
18.ointment['ɔintmənt] n.油膏；药膏
19.gynecological[，ɡainikə'lɔdʒikəl] adj.妇科的；妇产科医学的
20.pediatric[piːdi'ætrik] adj.［医］小儿科的
21.parasite['pærəsait] n.食客；寄生虫
22.analgesia[，ænæl'dʒiːzjə] n.止痛；无痛法
23.summon['sʌmən] vt.召唤；召集；鼓起；振作
24.blustery['blʌstəri] adj.大风的；狂暴的；吵闹的
25.superlative[sju：'pə：lətiv，sə-] adj.最高的；过度的
26.procrastinate[prəu'kræstineit] vt.耽搁；延迟
vi.耽搁；延迟
27.bushel['buʃəl] n.蒲式耳
vt.修整（衣服等）
28.lentil['lentil] n.［植］兵豆；小扁豆
29.prevaricate[pri'værikeit] vi.搪塞；支吾其词；闪烁其词
30.apprehend['æpri'hend] vt.逮捕；理解；忧虑
vi.理解；担心
31.intercede[，intə'siːd] vi.调解；调停；求情；说项
32.clement['klemənt] adj.温和的；仁慈的
33.subaltern['sʌbəltən，sə'bɔ：ltən] n.中尉；副官；部下
adj.次的；陆军中尉的
34.castration[kæs'treiʃən] n.阉割；去雄
35.prodigy['prɔdidʒi] n.奇迹；奇事；奇观；奇才；［古］预兆
36.archimede’s principle 阿基米德原理
37.scoundrel['skaundrəl] adj.卑鄙的
n.恶棍；无赖；流氓
38.knave[neiv] n.（纸牌中的）杰克；流氓；无赖
39.paravertebral ［医］脊柱旁的；椎旁的
Notes
1.Sanguozhi（《三国志》）：Sanguozhi was regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 220—280.Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century，the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei （曹魏），Shu Han （蜀汉） and Eastern Wu （东吴） of the Three Kingdoms into a single text.Records of Three Kingdoms provided the basis for the later historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms，written in the 14th century.
2.Hou Hanshu（《后汉书》）：Hou Hanshu，Book of the Later Han or the History of the Later Han is one of the official Chinese historical works which was compiled by Fan Ye in the fifth century，using a number of earlier histories and documents as sources.It covers the history of Eastern Han from 25 to 220.
Exercises
I.Fill in each of the following blanks according to the passage.
1.________Tuo is the first person in China to use anesthesia during surgery.
2.He developed the ________（五禽戏 “Exercise of the Five Animals”） from studying movements of the tiger，deer，bear，monkey，and crane.
3.________lists five medical books attributed to Hua Tuo and his disciples,but none are extant.
4.________(155—220) is the tyrannical founder of the Cao Wei kingdom.
5.________is a term of respect for a highly skilled doctor.
II.Match each of the following names of the inventors with his invention.
A.Zhang Cang ( ) Acupuncture and moxibustion
B.Zhang Heng ( ) Papermaking technique
C.Bi Sheng ( ) Armillary sphere
D.Jia Sixie ( ) Nine-Chapter Arithmetic
E.Zu Chongzhi ( ) Calculation for ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter
F.Li Shizhen ( ) Qi Min Yao Shu,an agricultural book
G.Cai Lun ( ) Type printing
J.Huang Fum ( ) Compendium of Materia Medica,a famous medical book