Yi Shuo: Biographical Introduction and Legendary Stories, Major Works and Academic Contributions
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✵Yi Shuo: A famous female physician who lived during the Western Han Dynasty. She developed an interest in herbs from childhood and began collecting medicinal plants in the mountains as a teenager. She acquired extensive medical knowledge and accumulated rich clinical experience; she excelled in acupuncture and herbal therapy.
- Yi Shuo
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Brief Introduction Chinese Name: 義妁 (Yì Shuò) Alias: Unknown Style Name: Unknown English Name: Yi Shuo or lady Yi Shuo Hometown: Hedong or Yanhu Dates: Lived during the Western Han Dynasty, prior to the early 2nd century BCE (before 126 BCE) Major Works: None known Representative Works: None known Biographical Introduction and Legendary Stories
Yi Shuo (Yì Shuò, c. 2nd century BCE), a renowned female physician of early Chinese history, was born in the ancient Hedong region (present-day riverside area of the Sushui River, at the junction of Xia County and Yanhu District in Shanxi Province). From childhood, she displayed a keen interest in medicinal herbs. As a teenager, she ventured into the mountains to collect herbs. Whenever a herbalist passed through her area, she humbly sought instruction; over the years, she acquired substantial medical knowledge and accumulated rich clinical experience.
Once, a patient with severe abdominal distension was brought in from the fields. The abdomen was swollen larger than that of a woman near term in pregnancy; the umbilicus was protruding, and the patient’s body was emaciated and near death. After careful examination, Yi Shuo inserted several silver needles into the patient’s abdomen and legs, applied a packet of herbal powder to the umbilicus, covered it with silk soaked in hot water, and administered a traditional Chinese herbal decoction. Within several days, the swelling gradually subsided, and the patient fully recovered. Thereafter, Yi Shuo’s reputation as a skilled physician spread widely.
Emperor Wu’s mother, Empress Dowager Wang, was elderly and gravely ill. Upon hearing of Yi Shuo’s exceptional medical expertise, Emperor Wu summoned her to the imperial palace and appointed her as the Empress Dowager’s imperial physician. Yi Shuo successfully treated Empress Dowager Wang’s illness.Major Works and Academic Contributions
Yi Shuo did not leave behind any extant written works; no texts authored by her are known to survive today.
References:
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- 1. Yi Shuo: Biographical Introduction and Legendary Stories, Major Works and Academic Contributions
