From Legend to Science: A History of Chinese Medicine

In 'From Legend to Science' Ruan Jin Zhao tells how, as a young student, he had asked himself,' How can these simple leaves and twigs cure a disease?

Thus began the author's exploration of Chinese medicine, the development of which he traces in depth. A marvel of the ancient world, it was holistic in its inception, ever mindful of man's position between heaven and earth. Never severed from its philosophical base, as was Western medicine, the Chinese traditional medicine emphasized balance and harmony within the human body, treating the body as an organic whole, with the over-arching Yin/Yang principle.