Fanciful - Inventions That Changed the World - (Upper and Lower)

Author: Dong Shuliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Yi Yin was a slave during the Shang Dynasty and learned a highly skilled culinary technique from his ancestors and father since childhood. One spring, Yi Yin's father suddenly fell ill, and Yi Yin was very worried and frightened because he had no money for treatment. Moreover, even if he had money, doctors would not treat slaves. Therefore, if a slave fell ill, they had to either tough it out or watch their condition worsen. Seeing Yi Yin constantly frowning over his father's illness, the father comforted his son: "When Yi Yin's grandfather was sick, he discovered that some foods could 'eat' the illness away. For example, ginger can dispel cold and remove coldness, lotus seeds can nourish yin and reduce fire, and so on. Over time, he accumulated rich experience and found that many illnesses could be cured with food. Therefore, Yi Yin's father believed he would also get better." Yi Yin's frown immediately relaxed, and he thought, "If his father's illness could also be cured with a certain food, that would be wonderful." However, his father warned him, "Not all illnesses can be cured with food, and some foods may even delay and worsen the condition. To understand the principles behind this, one must think deeply." From then on, Yi Yin began to pay attention to the different effects of various foods and tried to use them to treat illnesses. He hoped that one day, these non-medical methods would become a masterful technique, giving slaves like himself a chance to relieve the suffering of illness.
When Yi Yin grew up, due to his exquisite culinary skills, he was appointed as the royal chef by King Tang. In the palace, he saw much more food and seasonings than before, which made him very happy because the materials for studying food therapy were greatly enriched. Once, King Tang fell ill, but his condition showed no signs of improvement after taking the medicine prescribed by the doctors. Upon hearing this, Yi Yin immediately rushed to the palace. Seeing the court physicians helpless as King Tang's condition worsened, he suggested trying food therapy. The doctors present completely disbelieved such a thing, looking at the bold slave with disdain one after another. To everyone's surprise, after King Tang ate the food prepared by Yi Yin, his condition improved day by day. About a month later, he miraculously recovered. King Tang was very pleased with the young and capable Yi Yin. Later, Yi Yin was specially appointed as the prime minister and accompanied King Tang in his military campaigns, becoming his trusted assistant in conquering the world. Meanwhile, the food therapy he developed using his unique culinary skills became increasingly mature.
The food therapy Yi Yin explored and invented during his cooking process has indeed gone down in history and still holds practical significance today. While studying food therapy, Yi Yin also began to pay attention to processing and preparing various herbs, eventually creating traditional Chinese herbal decoctions. The first pharmacological monograph in China, Tang Ye Jing Fa, was written by him. Therefore, Yi Yin can also be considered one of China's earliest famous physicians. This work was passed down for over a thousand years until it was lost during the chaotic Han Dynasty. As a result, Yi Yin had a certain influence on the history of Chinese medicine and the development of medical science.