Miao medicine originated thousands of years ago and has its own medical theory system. It is the medical experience accumulated by the Miao people in their long-term struggle with diseases and has strong characteristics of Miao culture.
So, how did Miao medicine originate and develop? Come and have a look with me!
The origin of Miao medicine is very early. There is a saying among the Miao people that "Miao medicine lasts for thousands of years, and Miao medicine lasts for ten thousand years", and Miao medicine has been recorded in historical records very early. Liu Xiang of the Western Han Dynasty said in "Shuoyuan·Bianwu": "I heard that the doctor in ancient times was called Miaofu. Miaofu was a doctor. He used the camp as a mat and the cud as a dog. He faced the north and said blessings, and he spoke ten words. . Those who came to help and lifted up all recovered as before. "Who is the "Miao Father"? Some scholars believe: "Liu Xiang's "Shuo Yuan" said that in ancient times there was a man named Miaofu... This Miaofu was a wizard (witch doctor) of the Li and Miao people. The wizards mainly used praying and forbidden spells to treat diseases, but they also gradually used some Alcohol, grass and other drugs.”
Some scholars believe that the Miao father recorded in Han literature is the "Prince of Medicine" in the Miao legend. The Miao people at the border of Hunan and Guizhou say that the King of Medicine is a transparent, glass-like, winged god who can fly. He is not afraid of hardships and obstacles, and wears stars and moons to serve the people "Chatax Chaga" (meaning "Looking for prescriptions" in Eastern Miao dialect). "), this legend is widely circulated. There are songs in the eastern and western regions of the Miao people that say "a king of medicine is in all directions; three thousand Miao medicines, eight hundred prescriptions".
To this day, Miao doctors in Anlong, Zhenfeng, Qinglong and other places in southwest Guizhou Prefecture still respect the "King of Medicine" very much. In the process of practicing medicine, they must kill chickens to worship their ancestors when curing diseases. Come and pay homage to the "King of Medicine". This legend is very similar to the legend of "Shennong tasted a hundred herbs" recorded in "Huainanzi". "The Classic of Mountains and Seas" says: "North of the Black Water, there are people with wings, named Miao people." Among them, "winged" and "winged" "" and "transparent" legends are all characteristics of the Miao ancestors in the mythological era, which shows that Miao medicine originated from the ancient mythological era.
Since the Miao people themselves have no written or historical records of their own nation, it is difficult to verify the origin of their medicine. However, from numerous other documents, legends, and ancient songs, we can still get a glimpse of their specific situation and characteristics. First, it originated earlier and has a long history; second, it originated from the production and life practices of the Miao people. Because the Miao people live in an area rich in medicinal resources, they understood and mastered the knowledge and medicinal value of plants early. To this day, in the Miao area, almost everyone knows and masters several or even dozens of drug treatments. In some places, every household has some commonly used drugs planted in the courtyard, front and back of the house.
It has formed a very common feature of people's application of herbal medicine, which is known as "all herbs are medicines, and everyone can heal". Historical records indicate that wizards in Chu State often used Miao medicines as witchcraft tools. There are many references in "Chu Ci" There are few records of "Calamus" and "Zelan" called "Miao medicine". "Zelan" was used as a burial object in Han Tombs No. 1 and 2 of Mawangdui, Changsha, which illustrates the long history and wide application of Miao medicine. There are also many stories about the discovery of medicines in ancient times in the "ancient songs" of the Miao people. For example, an ancient song in southeastern Guizhou called "Dian Ha" tells that Brother Ha was unfortunately carried away by a tiger when he was a child. He did not return for ten years and was later killed by his parents. When he was retrieved, his wild nature remained unchanged, his voice was hoarse and he could not speak. Once he ran out to the river and ate a lot of duckweed. Brother Ha was not only able to speak, but also lost his wild nature. As a result, the Miao family accumulated duckweed, which can cure hoarseness.
Although the Miao people live in areas with luxuriant vegetation and rich medicines, they migrated frequently in the early days, and most of the places they visited were inaccessible, remote mountainous areas and miasma-prone countryside, where the natural conditions were very harsh. On the contrary, this environment has tempered the Miao people's ability to survive. Under these specific conditions, if there were no medical activities that originated earlier, the survival and reproduction of the nation would never be guaranteed. This is the source of many of the Miao people's famous treatment methods and medicinal experiences. Due to this struggle for survival. For example, the famous Miao medicine acupuncture therapy is a unique external treatment method. This method is widely spread in most areas of southwest and northwest Guizhou, including Guanling, Zhenning, Ziyun and other places. Doctors have used this method to travel almost all over the country.
Sugar medicine acupuncture therapy can be traced back to the crossbow medicine used on ancient crossbows. Judging from the ingredients of the crossbow medicine, it is mainly the ancient Miao people who applied the highly toxic concoction that "sees blood and seals the throat" On the tip of the crossbow arrow, they hunted ferocious animals such as tigers and leopards. "History of the Song Dynasty: Biography of the Barbarians" records that the barbarians (mainly referring to the Miao and Yao ethnic groups) "were those who gathered in dangerous mountains. Although they had She fields and harvested very little grain, If you use medicinal arrows to kill the animals, they will move to other places. If you are good at using medicinal arrows, those who hit them will cry out and believe that they will die. "The Miao people still have the habit of hunting today, and the ancient Miao people can use crossbow medicine. Yes, but other ethnic groups also have crossbow medicine, and the Miao people can use it to treat diseases, which can be described as a creation.
In the long process of the Miao people using crossbow medicine, in order to meet the needs of treating diseases, the preparers deliberately subtracted the highly toxic ingredients, added bee sugar and other ingredients to reduce the toxicity of the medicine, and used special exhaust The needle or three-edged needle dipped in medicinal juice is pricked into the affected area. It is easy to operate, rapid treatment, and has few side effects. Sugar medicine needle is a unique external treatment method of Miao medicine. It is a crossbow medicine invented from the ancient hunting activities of the Miao people. This is exactly This is strong evidence that Miao medicine originated from ancient life and production practices.