External treatment technology sprouted in primitive society. Our ancestors used stone needles to disperse blood stasis, wrapped wounds with straw stalks, and baked stones with hay to keep out the cold, which is considered to be the embryonic form of acupuncture, application and hot ironing. The external treatments recorded in Neijing include Bian Shi, nine needles, guidance, massage, moxibustion, ironing, pickling, bathing, steaming, smearing and sneezing, which created a precedent for plasters. Treatise on febrile diseases also created external treatments such as nasal congestion, ear washing, sublingual administration, moistening dryness and stagnation, and powder body. Taiping Shenghui Fang records the methods of pouring, pasting and rubbing. There are as many as 27 kinds of external treatment methods used by Sun Simiao in Qian Jin Yao Fang. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the technology of external governance began to mature and popularize. For example, Janice, a physician in the Qing Dynasty, said in "Jin Jian of Medical Sect, Essentials of Bone-Setting Mind": "Those who have blood stasis should benefit from attacking; Blood dead to make up; But if there is not much bleeding and there is no congestion, the rule of law should be external treatment. " It can be seen that external treatment is widely used. Wu Shangxian's Parallel Prose of Li Long in Qing Dynasty is an epoch-making practical summary, which brings together the achievements of external governance from Huangdi Neijing to Qing Dynasty. It systematically arranged and theoretically discussed the prescriptions for external treatment, initially improved the theory of external treatment, affirmed the significance of internal treatment and external treatment, and made great contributions to the systematization and perfection of the theory of external treatment. Wu Shangxian strongly advocated foreign governance, and once enthusiastically pointed out that "there are all kinds of doctors in the world, and we should see their talents here." Wu's "Li Zhuo Pian Wen" focuses on applying (plaster), which not only creates dozens of plaster prescriptions, but also summarizes applying, ironing, rubbing, painting, smoking, soaking, washing, rubbing, rubbing, sneezing, blowing, sucking, pinching, licking and sitting. With the continuous progress of science and technology, the ancient and unique subject of external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine has added new content. External treatment technology has rapidly extended from the initial field to the fields of internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics, dermatology, otolaryngology and other disciplines. From the treatment of local body surface lesions to the treatment of systemic diseases, it has been developing in a deeper and broader direction.
The external treatment of modern Chinese medicine has included drug application, drug ligation, drug fumigation and washing, drug patch, drug brush, drug pillow, drug cover, drug puff, drug drop, vomit detection, inhalation, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, traction, qigong, scraping, acupoint injection, external treatment of sole, holographic diagnosis and treatment of human white meat, iontophoresis of traditional Chinese medicine and spectral irradiation. Here, we will briefly introduce several most common and widely used external treatment methods to readers.
Application-magical natural therapy
Application is a method of applying drugs to specific parts of the body surface to treat diseases.
Its therapy has a long history. As early as ancient times, our ancestors had learned to use soil, grass roots and bark to stop bleeding. There are many prescriptions for external application to treat trauma and other diseases in Fifty-two Diseases unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha. Gehong elbow emergency prescription in Jin Dynasty contains eggs, white vinegar, pig fat, water, honey, wine and so on. As external medicine and admixture. Li Long's Parallel Prose in Qing Dynasty marked that the clinical application of this therapy reached a more perfect level. It can be seen that application therapy has been widely used in clinic since ancient times.
The medicinal properties of acupoint application either directly act on the affected part or reach the affected part through the conduction of qi and blood in meridians, and have the functions of warming meridians and dredging collaterals, eliminating cold and dampness, regulating qi and promoting blood circulation, regulating viscera, strengthening yang and strengthening body. Because of its simple operation, low cost, external treatment of internal diseases, no side effects, and even the procedure of "bitter medicine", this method is deeply welcomed by patients and most easily accepted by children. It can be seen that external application will become one of the more and more popular external treatments.
Fumigation and washing-a unique program popular all over the world
Fumigation and washing therapy is a kind of treatment method to fumigate and wash the skin or affected area by using the decoction of drugs while it is hot (generally, the decoction is steamed first and then washed after the liquid medicine is warm). With the help of drugs and heat, the skin acts on the body to promote the dredging of acupoints, the harmony of meridians and the smoothness of qi and blood, thus achieving the purpose of preventing and treating diseases. Zhao Xuemin, a master of folk therapy in Qing Dynasty, set up fumigation and washing method in Ya Ji, and introduced fumigation and washing therapy in detail. In the Qing Dynasty, Wu Shangxian also put forward the methods of smoking, washing, ironing and applying, which were acceptable even to weak patients, and there would be no false evil. Modern medical experiments have proved that hot and humid air during fumigation and washing can accelerate the absorption of drugs by the skin, and at the same time, the increase of skin temperature can lead to the expansion of tiny blood vessels in the skin, promote the circulation of blood and lymph, and be beneficial to the dissipation of hematoma and edema. With the help of drugs and heat, this therapy acts on the body through the skin and mucosa, promoting the dredging of acupoints, the harmony of meridians and the smoothness of qi and blood, thus achieving the purpose of preventing and treating diseases.
Its treatment includes local fumigation and systemic fumigation and washing. Local fumigation and washing methods include hand fumigation and washing, foot fumigation and washing, eye fumigation and washing, hip bath fumigation and washing and other methods.
Medicinal bath can be regarded as the external treatment of whole body fumigation and washing, and it is an important part of Chinese medicine. Under the guidance of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, it selects appropriate Chinese herbal medicines, fumigates with steam generated after boiling, or takes liquid from the medicinal juice for whole body or local bathing, such as sitz bath, foot bath, face bath, eye bath, arm bath, etc., so as to achieve the purpose of preventing diseases and treating diseases. Its method has a long history. As early as 3000 years ago in Shang Dynasty, it was popular to take a bath with drugs in the court to prevent and treat diseases. By the Qing Dynasty, its treatment scope had expanded to diseases of internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, children, facial features, skin and other disciplines, and the types of medicinal baths were washing, bathing, soaking, salting and water. Fumigation and washing are still popular in modern times.
Pricking blood-a brand-new world miracle
Pricking blood therapy, also called "acupuncture bloodletting therapy", is still widely used in modern medical diagnosis and treatment. It is a method to treat diseases by puncturing or cutting specific acupoints and specific parts of the human body with a needle or knife and releasing a small amount of blood.
The emergence of pricking blood therapy can be traced back to the ancient stone age: people found in labor practice that bleeding on the affected area with a sharp stone-bian stone can treat some diseases. With the development of science, the pricking blood tool produced a metal needle, and later, according to the needs of medical practice, a "pre-needle" specially used for bloodletting treatment appeared. The earliest written record of this therapy can be found in Huangdi Neijing, such as "those who benefit from collaterals will stab the blood vessels of small collaterals"; "If you get rid of Chen, you will make an enemy with him." It is clearly pointed out that pricking collaterals and bloodletting can treat madness, headache, rage, heat asthma, epistaxis and other diseases. According to legend, bloodletting at Baihui point cured Prince Guo's "corpse syncope" and Hua Tuo treated Cao Cao's "head wind syndrome" with acupuncture bloodletting. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, this therapy has become a major principle of Chinese medicine. In modern times, bloodletting therapy is still widely used, and its value can be seen.
There are various methods of pricking collaterals and bloodletting in modern clinic. Typical pricking collaterals methods are pricking, dispersing pricking, purging blood, picking pricking, cluster pricking, straight pricking and counter pricking. Its treatment is safe and reliable with minimal risk. Acupuncture bloodletting therapy is not only effective for many common and frequently-occurring diseases, but also has unexpected effects on some difficult diseases.
Bloodletting therapy is not only one of the important treatment methods of traditional Chinese medicine, but also an important part of other ethnic medicine. This method is also a unique treatment technique among Tibetan medicine, Mongolian medicine, Miao medicine and Uygur medicine. Wang Yue yiguang, an ancient classic of traditional medicine written around 1 century, has a special chapter on bloodletting therapy of Tibetan medicine. The publication of four medical books further improved the theory of bloodletting therapy and enriched the experience of bloodletting therapy.
Bleeding therapy not only has a certain influence on acupuncture in China, but also attracts much attention abroad.
External treatment of traditional Chinese medicine is an ancient medical skill with a long history in China, but it has strong vitality. It originated in China and spread all over the world. With the progress of the whole human science and the further development of external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the increasing combination with other disciplines, external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine will benefit mankind more.