巫醫同源考

Study on the Relationship of Necromancy and Medicine

Medicine and witch medicine share one root" is an important culture phenomenon in the developing process of Chinese traditional medicine. It involves our ancient philosophy, religion, folk custom, medicine, psychology, politics, astronomy and calendar. Unfortunately, little work has been done on its study. There was indeed no interface between witch medicine and medicine before the Warring States. Medicine surrendered to witch medicine, therefore, "medicine originated from witch medicine". In the Warring States time, there was an interface between witch medicine and medicine in the central China, but their mergence still existed. In the south China, witch medicine was never separated from medicine. After the Warring States, Bianque, Zhang Zhongjing and The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine declared that witch medicine should not be fully trusted. Anyhow they did not deny its effect. Its position and role in medicine throughout the ancient time has been approved and handed down from one generation to another. This is the basis that witch medicine and medicine share the same root.