February 11, 2014

黄帝 Traditional reign is defined as 2697 to 2597 BCE or 2698 to 2598 BCE. Late Warring States and Early Han, he is credited as the originator of centralized government, a ruler in tune with the cosmos, and a master of “esoteric arts” (which includes medicine!) Said to be the forefather of all Huaxia 華夏 / 华 夏 Chinese (confederation of tribes that lived along the Yellow River)

Born in the Shandong Province Brought agriculture to China Tamed six special beasts: Bear 熊 Brown Bear 羆 Fox 貔 Xiu 貅 Chu 貙 Tiger 虎 Improved the life of hunters Invented carts, boats, and clothing Said to have lived over 1000 years Subsequent dynasties claimed legitimacy by claiming to be descendants Sometimes called the father of Daoism

The Yellow Emperor is attributed as the source of most medical knowledge, including as the founding practitioner of accupuncture Despite this, the myth goes that he employed a common local physician, Qibo 岐伯, as his chancellor Their dialogues constitute the founding basis of all Chinese medical texts, 黃帝內經 The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon

身 Body Life Oneself; personally One’s moral character and conduct The main part of a structure Body the physical structure and material substance of an animal or plant, living or dead. a corpse; carcass. the trunk or main mass of a thing: the body of a tree. Anatomy, Zoology. the physical structure of a human being or animal, not including the head, limbs,and tail; trunk; torso. Architecture. the principal mass of a building.

气 Breath Primordial Qi 元气 Most branches of traditional Chinese medicine are government by the centralized assumption that there are natural flows throughout the body of qi (described sometimes as meridians) Diagrams from Furth

陰陽

五行 Wood 木 = Liver Fire 火 = Heart, Small Intestine Earth 土 = Stomach, Spleen Water 水 = Kidneys Metal 金 = Lung, Large Intestine Describes interactions and relationships