Liu the Imperial Physician on Health Preservation: Three Parts Treatment, Seven Parts Nurturing

Author: Liu Hongzhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: The court physicians of China's feudal society, especially those after the Ming Dynasty, were a special class in the medical community. They adopted methods such as dietary regulation, food therapy, and cautious medication to ensure the health of the nobility. At the same time, they avoided penalties such as dismissal, beating, exile, execution, or the annihilation of three generations of their families due to ineffective prevention. Although many Chinese emperors died young despite the advice of court physicians, many nobles lived healthy lives, particularly many concubines who lived to a ripe old age, and even many eunuchs, maids, and guards died without illness. This has sparked great interest among many modern people. Now, as humanity begins to focus on quality of life and natural lifespan, much of the modern research may be mere theoretical speculation or based on assumptions. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to revisit the historical experience of court physicians, as historical experience is worth noting. The Liu family is a descendant of the Jin Dynasty Chinese physician Liu Wansu and also a descendant of the Ming Dynasty court physician Liu Chun. It is one of the few historically long-standing traditional Chinese medicine families in China. Liu Chun's theory of health preservation and the "seven parts of nourishment and three parts of treatment" has become a common saying among all Chinese people worldwide and remains a theory for preventing diseases and treating chronic conditions in traditional Chinese medicine. The Liu family has been practicing the "seven parts of nourishment and three parts of treatment" since 1457 to treat various diseases and has gained fame for its treatment of cancer both domestically and internationally. It is the only family specializing in tumor treatment in China.