中医中药

　　中国人很早就懂得用医药来保障自己的健康。中国的医药学是一座神奇的知识宝库，中医中药是世界上独树一帜的科学。

　　相传上古时候的神农氏，曾经亲自品尝百草，识别药用植物。现存最早的一部医书《黄帝内经》，比较系统地总结了春秋战国以前的医疗经验，为中医学奠定了理论基础。战国时期的著名医生扁鹊，最早用望、闻、问、切四种方法诊断病情。这四种方法一直沿用到今天，成为中医的传统诊断法。望，是观察病人的外表和精神状态；闻，是听病人喘息的声音；问，是询问病人的发病过程、自我感觉和饮食起居状况；切，是摸查病人脉搏跳动的情况。

　　中药的来源主要是植物，也有一些动物和矿物。这些东西经过特殊的炮制，被制成内服、外用的药剂。汉代著名的药物学著作《神农本草经》，记载了365种药物。南北朝时期的名医陶弘景，又添加了365种，写成《本草经集注》。明代名医李时珍编着的《本草纲目》，收录了近2,000种药物和10,000多个药方。

　　中国历史上的名医多不胜数，像扁鹊、华佗、张仲景、孙思邈(miao)、李时珍等，都以他们精湛的医术为病人解除了痛苦。现代中国也有很多著名的医生，他们努力攻克医学难关，为人民造福。中国少数民族医学也有它的独到之处，像蒙医、藏医、维医、傣医等，都为各民族人民的健康幸福作出了自己的贡献。 现在，中医中药已传到了世界许多地方。

　　Chinese people knew how to safeguard their health by medical science and drugs long ago. Legend has it that Shennong Shia of ancient times once tasted 100 herbs in person to distinguish herbal plants. China's earliest extant medical book Canon of Medicine of the Yellow Emperor systematically summarized medical experience before the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods (770-221 BC), laying a theoretical foundation for traditional Chinese medical science. The famous doctor of the Warring States Period Bian Que was the first to use observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, and palpation for diagnosis. Observation is to observe the patient's appearance and mental state; auscultation and olfaction are to listen to the patient's breathing; interrogation is to inquire about the onset of the problem and the patient's own feelings, his diet and daily life; and palpation is to feel the pulse of the patient.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine mainly comes from plants, and also some animals and minerals. These are made into oral or external medicines after being specially prepared. The famous medical book of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) Shennong's Materia Medica recorded 365 herbs. The well known doctor Tao Hongjing of the Southern and Northern dynasties (421-589 AD) added another 365 herbs and wrote Variorum of Shennong's Materia Medica. Compendium of Materia Medica, written by the famous doctor Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), included nearly 2,000 medicines and 10,000 prescriptions.

　　There are numerous famous doctors in Chinese history, such as Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, Sun Simiao, Li Shizhen, who relieved patients of pain with their consummate medical skills. In modern China, there are also many famous doctors who try hard to resolve serious difficulties and work for the well-being of the people. The medical sciences of China's ethnic minority groups, with distinctive features, have also contributed much, including that of the Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur and Dai groups.