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 with help and those who were lifted up all recovered as before. "Who is "Miao Father"? Some scholars believe: "Liu Xiang's "Shuo Yuan" said that in ancient times, there was a person named Miao Father... This Miao Father is. Shamans (witchdoctors) of the Li and Miao ethnic groups, the shamans mainly use prayer and forbidden spells to treat diseases, but they also gradually use some medicines such as wine and grass."
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 god with wings and the ability to fly. He is not afraid of hardships and obstacles, and wears the stars and the moon to serve the people "Chatax Chaga" (meaning "looking for prescriptions" in the Eastern Miao language). "), this legend is widely circulated. There are songs in the eastern and western regions of the Miao people that say "a king of medicine can be found 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 medicinal treatment methods. In some places, every household has some commonly used medicinal plants planted in the courtyard, front and back of the house.
People use herbal medicine very widely, and it is known as "all herbs are medicines, and everyone knows how to heal". According to historical records, wizards in Chu often used Miao medicine as witchcraft tools. There are many records in "Songs of Chu" about "Calamus" and "Zelan" which are called "Miao medicine". "Zelan" was used as a burial object in the Han Tombs No. 1 and 2 of Mawangdui, Changsha, which shows that Miao Medicine has a long history and is widely used. There are also many stories about the discovery of medicine 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. When he was found by his parents before he returned, 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 not only could speak, but also got rid of his wild nature. As a result, the Miao family accumulated a lot of wealth. He learned that duckweed can cure hoarseness.
Although the Miao people live in areas with lush 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 villages. The natural conditions are very harsh, but 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 many famous treatments of the Miao people would never be guaranteed. Methods and medication experience are derived from this struggle for survival. For example, the famous Miao medicine acupuncture is a unique external treatment method. This method is widely spread in most areas of southwest and northwest Guizhou, including Zhenning, Guanling, Guizhou. Miao doctors in places such as Guangdong and Ziyun have used this method almost all over the country.
Sugar medicine acupuncture therapy can be traced back to the crossbow medicine used in ancient crossbows. Judging from the ingredients of the crossbow medicine, The main reason is that the ancient Miao people applied highly toxic concoction that "seals the throat upon seeing blood" on the tips of crossbow arrows to hunt ferocious animals such as tigers and leopards. According to "History of the Song Dynasty: Biography of the Barbarians", the barbarians (mainly referring to the Miao and Yao ethnic groups) "Those who protect Jushan's dangerous mountains have She fields and harvest very little grain and millet, but they use medicine and arrows to shoot animals, capture all the birds and beasts, and then move to other places.
If you are good at using medicinal arrows, those who hit them will scream loudly. If you believe in death, you will be cured by the medicine. "To this day, the Miao people still have the habit of hunting. It is certain that the Miao people used crossbow medicine in ancient times, but other ethnic groups also have crossbow medicine, and the Miao people can use it to treat diseases. It can be said to be a creation.
Miao people In the long process of applying 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 row needles or three-edged needles to dip the medicine juice Pricking the affected area is easy to operate, fast to treat, 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 the origin of Miao medicine from ancient life and production. Strong evidence from practice.