About the Qin

Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor to unite China. He did this not only through force, but also by standardizing systems throughout the country such as currency, writing, weights and measurements. His policies were strict and many nobles and scholars disliked them. He put 460 scholars to death as a warning to those who considered opposing them. His most infamous act was the burning of the books in 213 B.C. As a result, many important writings from ancient China were lost. Fortunately some texts on divination,medicine and agriculture were saved. Eventually his empire fell apart with the uprising of the peasants that led to the founding of the Han Dynasty.

Burning books and burying scholars alive

Han Dynasty 206 B.C. - 220 A.D.
* Western Han 206 B.C.24 A.D.
* Eastern Han 25220 A.D.

About the Han
Liu Bang launched the Han Dynasty in 206 B.C. and adopted the systems and harsh laws initially put in place by Emperor Qin Shi of the Qin Dynasty. During the years of 9 to 23 A.D., Wang Man founded a new dynasty called the Xin, which marked a break between the Western and Eastern Han. However, his reign was short lived and in 23 A.D. a rebel peasant army, the Red Eyebrows put Wang Mang to death signaling the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Expanded empire of Western Han Dynasty

During this period, nomadic tribes were constantly invading China. As a result the Western Han Dynasty expanded its empire into what is today known as Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, South China, Vietnam, and Central Asia. The Silk Road in Northwest China was a popular communication and trade route. The Han dynasty was also a time of innovation with vast developments in the arts, philosophy and technology. For example, Zang Heng (78139A.D.), a scientist and astronomer, invented the first seismograph in the 2nd century.

The Role of Philosophy and Religion
Philosophy, societal values and religion played key roles in shaping the practice of Chinese medicine. Many sects and religions including Buddhism were introduced or already well-established by this time. In addition, books that examined ancient Chinese history made their appearance. One of the famous examples was Sima Qian (c. 14585 BC), who finished the classic Shi Ji (The Historical Records) which detailed China's history from the earliest times to his own day. This set a standard for all subsequent Chinese historical writing. The quality of medical writings also improved as more medical texts were being written

Confucius and his disciples, the sage's disciples played a decisive role in spreading his teachings.

Taoism and Immortality

One popular Taoist concept was that of longevity. Many emperors sought out herbs or elixirs that could make them immortal. Other religions such as Buddhism also aimed to discover the secrets of Shangri-la by turning to Taoism. For example, Emperor Lingdi (168189 A.D.) of the Han Dynasty invited Buddhist monks of another Taoist sect from India to his court in hopes that they would be able to provide him the elixir of immortality. These immortality elixirs were the origins of Chinese prescriptions.
Development of Medical System and Education
Apprenticeships were a common means of educating new physicians in the Western Han Dynasties. These apprenticeships were mostly handed down through families because this insured a steady and reliable income. The prestige of the doctor was based on how many generations the family had been practicing medicine. In fact, one medical book from that period warned against taking medication from a physician if his family had been practicing medicine for less than three generations. The selection of apprentices was a stringent process. Even the Huang Ti Nei Ching (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine) emphasized a careful selection of the apprentice since his success would bring the master fame. Other ways of becoming a doctor included studying prescriptions made by other doctors in a pharmacy or by self-study of medicine.

Examinations to recruit qualified physicians were introduced during the Han Dynasty. Emperor Yuan in 43 B.C. required all his attendant officials who were doctors to be tested. Interestingly, this examination was not necessarily based on medical knowledge, but rather the ability to be simple in life, honest in dealings, polite in social intercourse, and good in conduct.

Basic medical service on a national level was also introduced during this dynasty. Physicians were divided into two groups. There were the imperial court physicians who attended to the emperor, and the physicians who attended to the army and the common people within the provinces of the empire.

Shennong Bencaojing (Classic of Herbal Medicine)

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