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really concern us muchas Oriental views of disease and its cure have had
very little influence on the evolution of scientific medicineexcept in
illustration of the persistence of an attitude towards disease always widely
prevalent； and； indeed； increasing。 Nor can we say that the medicine of our
great colleague； St。 Luke； the Beloved Physician； whose praise is in the
Gospels； differs so fundamentally from that of the other writings of the
New Testament that we can claim for it a scientific quality。 The stories of
the miracles have technical terms and are in a language adorned by
medical phraseology； but the mental attitude towards disease is certainly
not that of a follower of Hippocrates； nor even of a scientifically trained
contemporary of Dioscorides。＇25＇
＇24＇ Psychotherapy； New York； 1919； p。 79； 〃I am convinced that
miracles happen there。 There is more than natural power manifest。〃
＇25＇ See Luke the Physician； by Harnack； English ed。； 1907； and W。 K。
Hobart； The Medical Language of St。 Luke； 1882。
CHINESE AND JAPANESE MEDICINE
CHINESE medicine illustrates the condition at which a highly
intellectual people may arrive； among whom thought and speculation were
restricted by religious prohibitions。 Perhaps the chief interest in its study
lies in the fact that we may see today the persistence of views about
disease similar to those which prevailed in ancient Egypt and Babylonia。
The Chinese believe in a universal animism； all parts being animated by
gods and spectres； and devils swarm everywhere in numbers incalculable。
The universe was spontaneously created by the operation of its Tao；
〃composed of two souls； the Yang and the Yin； the Yang represents light；
warmth； production； and life； as also the celestial sphere from which all
those blessings emanate； the Yin is darkness； cold； death； and the earth；
which； unless animated by the Yang or heaven； is dark； cold； dead。 The
Yang and the Yin are divided into an infinite number of spirits respectively
good and bad； called shen and kwei； every man and every living being
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contains a shen and a kwei； infused at birth； and departing at death； to
return to the Yang and the Yin。 Thus man with his dualistic soul is a
microcosmos； born from the Macrocosmos spontaneously。 Even every
object is animated； as well as the Universe of which it is a part。〃＇26＇
＇26＇ J。 J。 M。 de Groot： Religious System of China； Vol。 VI； Leyden；
1910； p。 929。
In the animistic religion of China； the Wu represented a group of
persons of both sexes； who wielded； with respect to the world of spirits；
capacities and powers not possessed by the rest of men。 Many
practitioners of Wu were physicians who； in addition to charms and
enchantments； used death…banishing medicinal herbs。 Of great antiquity；
Wu…ism has changed in some ways its outward aspect； but has not altered
its fundamental characters。 The Wu； as exorcising physicians and
practitioners of the medical art； may be traced in classical literature to the
time of Confucius。 In addition to charms and spells； there were certain
famous poems which were repeated； one of which； by Han Yu； of the
T'ang epoch； had an extraordinary vogue。 De Groot says that the 〃Ling；〃
or magical power of this poem must have been enormous； seeing that its
author was a powerful mandarin； and also one of the loftiest intellects
China has produced。 This poetic febrifuge is translated in full by de Groot
（VI； 1054…1055）； and the demon of fever； potent chiefly in the autumn； is
admonished to begone to the clear and limpid waters of the deep river。
In the High Medical College at Court； in the T'ang Dynasty； there were
four classes of Masters； attached to its two High Medical Chiefs： Masters
of Medicine； of Acupuncture； of Manipulation； and two Masters for
Frustration by means of Spells。
Soothsaying and exorcism may be traced far back to the fifth and sixth
centuries B。C。
In times of epidemic the specialists of Wu…ism； who act as seers；
soothsayers and exorcists； engage in processions； stripped to the waist；
dancing in a frantic； delirious state； covering themselves with blood by
means of prick…balls； or with needles thrust through their tongues； or
sitting or stretching themselves on nail points or rows of sword edges。 In
this way they frighten the spectres of disease。 They are nearly all young；
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and are spoken of as 〃divining youths；〃 and they use an exorcising magic
based on the principle that legions of spectres prone to evil live in the
machine of the world。 （De Groot； VI； 983…985。）
The Chinese believe that it is the Tao； or 〃Order of the Universe；〃
which affords immunity from evil； and according to whether or no the
birth occurred in a beneficent year； dominated by four double cyclical
characters； the horoscope is 〃heavy〃 or 〃light。〃 Those with light
horoscopes are specially prone to incurable complaints； but much harm
can be averted if such an individual be surrounded with exorcising objects；
if he be given proper amulets to wear and proper medicines to swallow；
and by selecting for him auspicious days and hours。
Two or three special points may be referred to。 The doctrine of the
pulse reached such extraordinary development that the whole practice of
the art centred round its different characters。 There were scores of varieties；
which in complication and detail put to confusion the complicated system
of some of the old Graeco…Roman writers。 The basic idea seems to have
been that each part and organ had its own proper pulse； and just as in a
stringed instrument each chord has its own tone； so in the human body； if
the pulses were in harmony； it meant health； if there was discord； it meant
disease。 These Chinese views reached Europe in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries； and there is a very elaborate description of them in
Floyer's well…known book。＇27＇ And the idea of harmony in the pulse is
met with into the eighteenth century。
＇27＇ Sir John Floyer： The Physician's Pulse Watch； etc。； London； 1707。
Organotherapy was as extensively practiced in China as in Egypt。
Parts of organs； various secretions and excretions are very commonly used。
One useful method of practice reached a remarkable development； viz。；
the art of acupuncturethe thrusting of fine needles more or less deeply
into the affected part。 There are some 388 spots on the body in which
acupuncture could be performed； and so well had long experience taught
them as to the points of danger； that the course of the arteries may be
traced by the tracts that are avoided。 The Chinese practiced inoculation for
smallpox as early as the eleventh century。
Even the briefest sketch of the condition of Chinese medicine leaves
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the impression of the appalling stagnation and sterility that may afflict a
really intelligent people for thousands of years。 It is doubtful if they are
today in a very much more advanced condition than were the Egyptians at
the time when the Ebers Papyrus was written。 From one point of view it is
an interesting experiment； as illustrating the state in which a people may
remain who have no knowledge of anatomy； physiology or pathology。
Early Japanese medicine has not much to distinguish it from the
Chinese。 At first purely theurgic； the practice was later characterized by
acupuncture and a refined study of the pulse。 It has an extensive literature；
largely based upon the Chinese； and extending