History of Pharmacology: Ancient China

The Chinese for centuries have developed herbal and other remedies as part of their pharmacological practices, which include the use of minerals, animals such as insects and dried earthworms, and various fungi. Traditional Chinese medicine consists not only of herbal cures and remedies but also medical activities such as moxibustion, in which the smoke of burning mugwort is used to treat various ailments, acupuncture along the body’s energy meridians, meditation such as qigong and tai chi, massage (tui na), and diet to support pharmacological practices. Although modern science has questioned the effectiveness of some aspects of Chinese medicine, such as acupuncture and moxibustion, maintaining that these practices are not useful in modern medicine, some herbal remedies are now becoming part of modern pharmacological investigation through ...