Traditional Folk Medicine and Pharmacology Series of the Ethnic Minorities in Yunnan Province -- The Yi Medicine and Pharmacology

Traditional Folk Medicine and Pharmacology Series of the Ethnic Minorities in Yunnan Province — The Yi Medicine and Pharmacology

Created by Yunan Ethnic Culture Audio & Video Publishing House

January 2023

98.00 (CNY)

This book records and showcases the authentic features of the Yunnan Yi ethnics traditional medicine and culture, enabling more people to understand the unique value of Yunnans ethnic folk medicine. It vividly presents some orally taught medicines, transitioning from the intangible to tangible written and visual forms, thus contributing to the protection, preservation, and inheritance of ethnic medicine.

The Yi ethnics medicine has evolved alongside its long history and is an integral part of the Yis cultural heritage. According to the Southwestern Yi Chronicles, the Yi ethnic and its medical and cultural traditions can be traced back over 5,000 years. The Yi ethnics medicine boasts a distinctive and profound theoretical foundation. Yi ethnic literature contains rich knowledge of medicine, spanning topics such as fundamental theories, physiological discussions, causes and mechanisms of diseases, diagnosis, treatment, and principles of medication. These constitute a complete theoretical system of Yi medicine. This is the Qi Su Book, written in ancient Yi script, unearthed in 1979 by the Drug Testing Institute of the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Shuangbai County. “Qi Su” means seeking medicine. The Qi Su Book is a compilation of pure medical scriptures excerpted by Bimo (Yi traditional priests) from canonical texts. It was compiled in the 45th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, which corresponds to 1566 CE. It is also known as the Ming Dynasty Yi Medical Book.

Yi medicine originated during primitive society. The early ancestors of the Yi people lived in forests, facing challenges from both a harsh natural environment and the afflictions of diseases. In the struggle against natural disasters and diseases, they gradually accumulated experiences in maintaining health and improving physical constitution, as well as developing medical knowledge. Medicinal substances are the foundation of Yi medicine, with thousands of varieties, including animal-based, mineral-based, and plant-based medicines. Among them, plant-and animal-based medicines are more widely used.

Throughout the long history of Yi medicine, it has not only benefited the reproduction and prosperity of the Yi people but also contributed to the wider world, becoming a unique branch within the Chinese medical system. Especially in Yi-inhabited areas and their surroundings, Yi doctors have been relied upon by various ethnic groups. In addition to diagnosing diseases through methods such as observation, smelling, questioning, and palpation, some Yi folk “Bimo” employ distinctive methods of diagnosis.

In the thousands of years of Yi medicine history, a portion of medical classics has been preserved, and numerous renowned Yi doctors have emerged, with Qu Huanzhang being a notable figure. Qu Huanzhang was born into a peasant family in 1880 in Zhao Guan Village, Jiangchuan County, Yunnan Province. He lost his parents at an early age and learned traditional Chinese medicine from his brother-in-law, Yuan Huai. He later studied under the guidance of Yao Lianjun, a renowned Yi doctor known as the “Divine Doctor of South Yunnan.” Qu Huanzhang traveled extensively with Yao Lianjun around northern Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou, learning traditional medicine and finally mastering the art. Two years after Doctor Yao passed away, Qu went back home. In 1902, he developed a unique herbal formula for treating injuries and named it “Bai Bao Dan,” which was later known as “Yunnan Baiyao.” This white powder had strong effects in promoting blood circulation, reducing swelling, stopping bleeding, and relieving pain. In the late 1930s, due to the needs of the resistance against the Japanese invasion, sales of Qu Huanzhangs Baiyao reached a record 400,000 bottles. Soldiers of the Yunnan Army carried bottles of Baiyao to the frontlines, bravely fighting the enemies and benefiting from its exceptional wound-healing abilities. This further popularized the medicines efficacy and spread Qu Huanzhangs reputation. He often spoke of the magical nature of Yi traditional medicine: “Yunnan is renowned for its herbal remedies. The villagers and elders use the most minute plants and woods to effectively cure diseases. Its truly remarkable.”

Yi medicine is a unique medical system embedded in the ancient civilization of the Yi people. Its theories, a comprehensive set of methods and rules formed through observing the movements of the sun, moon, and stars and the resulting changes, differentiate it from other medical systems. The theories regarding “impure qi,” “ai bu” (nourishment), “five births, ten growths,” “ten births, five growths,” “five elements of heaven and earth,” “eight trigrams of the universe,” “blue and red lines,” and “six qi” summarized by the Yi forefathers are not only basic philosophical viewpoints of Yi people but also guiding theories for comprehending the universe, life, and diseases. In fact, they are also a vital aspect of Chinese civilization in the field of medicine.

This venerable elderly individual is the renowned Yi doctor, Mr. Wang Zhengkun. In his eighties, he remains spirited and clear-minded, enjoying a prominent reputation as an expert in Yi medicine in Southwest China. Born in 1935, Mr. Wang Zhengkun inherited the academic ideas and clinical experience of old Yi doctors such as Dong Huaixing, Bai Yantao, and Zhao Deyou. Under the guidance of senior Yi doctor Dong Huaixing, he has organized and interpreted classics of Yi medicine, such as Yi Folk Remedies and Annotations on Yi Text Classics. Leading a research team, he conducted in-depth investigations and surveys in the major Yi mountain ranges of Xiaoliangshan Mountain, Wumengshan Mountain, and Ailaoshan Mountain, collecting data, inquiring about prescriptions, and collecting samples. After 35 years, he successively completed two comprehensive and systematic research projects: Excavation and Research of Yi Medical Literature and Exploration, Compilation, and Inheritance of the Traditional Yi Medicine Knowledge System. This enabled them to gain a comprehensive understanding of the medical situation in the three major Yi mountain ranges. Based on the research teams comprehensive and systematic compilation and interpretation of 214 types of ancient Yi medical literature, Yi regional historical materials, and 122 oral records from Yi doctors obtained through field surveys, they published works such as Ailao Materia Medica, Yi Medicine of Ailaoshan, Essentials of Yi Medicine and Prescriptions of Yi Medicine. These works systematically analyze and study the connotations and extensions of Yis medical theories.

Mr. Zhang Zhidao, another eminent Yi doctor in his eighties, born in 1934, explored the Ming Dynasty Yi Medical Book, the earliest discovered Yi medical literature to date. He investigated and verified 1,381 varieties of Yi medicines from 243 genera. He proposed significant viewpoints regarding the holistic concept of Yi medical theories as harmonizing humans with nature, the central role of the “Five Elements” in visceral and meridian theories, and the recognition theory based on dialectical materialism.

For over 60 years, Mr. Zhang Zhidao has collected and organized over 2,600 samples of Yi medicines, earning him the title “King of Yunnan Herbs.” From numerous folk prescriptions, he selected effective formulas and developed products like “Yi Xin Kang Capsule,” “Xiang Teng Jie Du Capsule,” “Lv Ji Cough Granules,” and “Fu Yi Shen Wine.” These products gained approval from the state for production and entered the market, providing a successful experience for the entry of Yi medicine into the domestic market. In interviews with these two renowned elderly Yi doctors, they both discussed theoretical issues related to Yi medicine. Their decades of unwavering exploration have solidified the foundation of the Yi medical systems research and paved the way for later theoretical studies.