中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第94期:華佗

Hua Tuo(145~208), famous physician of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, also named Fu, was born at Qiao County in Peiguo(now Bo Zhou, Anhui Province). His courtesy name was Yuanhua and the dates of his birth and death still remain unaccountable.

華佗(145~208 ) ，字元化，又名敷，沛國譙(今安徽毫州市)人，東漢末年醫學家。

He led a simple life, away from fame and fortune. He would rather become a traveling physician for ordinary people, who in turn held him in great reverence.

華佗淡於名利，不慕富貴，寧願做民間醫生，爲人民解除疾苦，足跡遍及安徽、山東、河南、江蘇等地，聲名卓著，深受人民愛戴。

Hua Tuo was an expert in several medical fields, such as internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics and acupuncture. He was the first person to perform surgery with the aid of anesthesia (by applying Ma Fei San, a herbal anesthetic he invented) some 1 600 years before Europeans did.

華佗精通內、外、婦、兒、鍼灸各科，對醫學的突出貢獻是創用麻沸散，是藥物麻醉的先驅者，西醫用麻醉藥至少比華佗晚1600年。

His expertised in surgical operation earned him the title of Father of Chinese Surgery.

華佗精於外科手術，是外科學的鼻祖。

He pointed out that physical exercises helped to promote health, so working out could accelerate people's inner circulation and prevent them from suffering diseases, just like a working door hinge will never rot away.

指出了運動促進健康和預防疾病的積極作用，“血脈流通，病不得生，譬如戶樞，終不朽也”。

With this principle, he invented a set of physical exercises called “Wu Qin Xi" (Frolics of Five Animals), in which one imitates the actions of tigers, deer, bears, apes, and birds to promote health.

爲此，華佗根據古代的導引方法編創了種新的運動方法“五禽戲”，模仿虎、鹿、熊、猿、鳥五種動物的各種姿態來鍛鍊身體。

He was good at diagnosis by observing the patients' facial complexion and feeling their pulse, proficient in acupuncture and in understanding the properties of medicines. He also practiced psychological therapies to cure chronic illnesses.

華佗善於通過觀察病人的面目顏色來診斷，善於脈診，深明藥性，對病人的心理也頗有研究，曾用來治療痼疾。

Unfortunately, almost all of his medical works, such as Hua Tuo Fang (Hua Tuo's Prescriptions), Hua Tuo Nei Shi (Hua Tuo on lnternal Medicine) and Zhen Zhong Jiu Ci Jing (The methods of Using Acupuncture and Moxibustion) were lost.

華佗一生的著作有《華佗方》、《華佗內事》、《枕中灸刺經》等，可惜均已散失。