As early as the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties (about the end of the 22nd century BC-256 BC), medicinal liquor and decoction appeared in China. The Book of Songs in the Western Zhou Dynasty (about 1 1 century-77 BC1year) is the earliest book with drugs recorded in the existing literature in China. Neijing is the earliest extant classic of Chinese medicine theory, which puts forward the theories of "cold is hot, heat is cold", "five flavors enter" and "five internal organs are bitter and want to tonify diarrhea", laying the foundation for the basic theory of Chinese medicine.
The earliest existing pharmaceutical monograph "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing" was collected and summarized by many medical scientists during the Qin and Han Dynasties (2265438 BC+0-220 AD). This book contains 365 kinds of drugs that are still in clinical use. Its appearance marks the initial establishment of traditional Chinese medicine.
More than 3,000 years ago, in Oracle Bone Inscriptions during the Shang Dynasty, there were records about China's medical care and more than ten diseases. In the Zhou Dynasty, methods of diagnosis, medicine, acupuncture and surgery were used. A systematic work Huangdi Neijing was formed in Qin and Han Dynasties. This book is the earliest classic of TCM theory. Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Febrile Diseases specifically discusses the principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment of various miscellaneous diseases, which lays the foundation for the development of clinical medicine in later generations. Surgery in Han dynasty has reached a high level. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Hua Tuo, a famous doctor, has started to use the general anesthetic "Mafeisan" for various surgical operations.