Historical Herbalists: Yellow Emperor
Introduction
Our company’s namesake, the Yellow Emperor or Huangdi, is a legendary figure in history. The legends say the Yellow Emperor’s rule over China started in the late 2690s BCE.1 Since that is well over 5,000 years ago, we will never know the Yellow Emperor’s true origins. Similarly to other legendary figures, folks wrote stories about him well after his alleged rule on Earth. In these stories, he is referred to as the ancestor to all Chinese people and the founder of Chinese civilization.2 Though he is described as a historical figure, it is also thought that he is an ancient god that was then later described as an actual person.1 In fact, there is one story where he becomes immortal, thus turning “back” into a god.2
Contributions to Medicine
The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Cannon, or Huangdi Neijing, is one of the first, if not the first, text written on medicine.1,2 In fact, it dates back to as early as 475 BCE.2 So, although it was not written at the time of the Yellow Emperor’s reign, the document is still over 2,000 years old. In the text, the Yellow Emperor attributed illness to diet, lifestyle, emotions, rather than demons as previously believed. Thus, the treatments for illnesses were changes in diet, acupuncture, and herbs.3 All in all, this ancient text is the foundation for and the standard of diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine.1
Religious connections
Additionally, the Huangdi Neijing is an important text in Daoism. For one thing, it is written as a dialogue between the Yellow Emperor and his minister. In this dialogue, they talk about the concepts of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal)4 and Qi.5 The Yellow Emperor, in the Huangdi Neijing, claimed humans are a microcosm of the larger macrocosm and the path to health is to be in balance with the energies of the world.1 The use of herbs and food as medicine was a way to achieve that balance.Without the contributions of the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Cannon, Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbal medicine in the United States would not exist as they do today.
Sources
1 – Yellow Emperor – Wikipedia
2 – Yellow Emperor – Religion Wiki
5 – The Huangdi Neijing: A Comprehensive Review – PMC
4 – Wuxing (Chinese philosophy) – Wikipedia
5 – Huangdi Neijing – Wikipedia
Caption – Huangshan – Wikipedia
