Why were doctors with excellent medical skills called Qihuang masters in ancient times?

There are four aliases for Chinese medicine, so I will explain them all: the first name is Qihuang.

The name comes from the "Huangdi Neijing".

Because it is a treatise on medicine discussed by Huangdi and Qibo, the Huangdi Neijing is called Qihuang's Technique.

Naturally, Qihuang has become another name for Chinese medicine.

The second name is Qingnang.

There are very few people who know this name and use it now.

Its origin is related to Hua Tuo, a famous doctor during the Three Kingdoms period.

It is said that before Hua Tuo was killed, in order to repay the favor of serving him with wine and meat, Hua Tuo filled a green bag with all the medical books he used and gave it to him.

After Hua Tuo's death, the prison officials also practiced medicine, so that part of Hua Tuo's medical skills were passed down. Based on this, later generations called Chinese medicine Qingnang.

The third name is Xinglin.

The origin of this name is also related to the Three Kingdoms.

According to some information, during the Three Kingdoms period, there was a famous doctor in the Wu State named Dong Feng. He lived in seclusion in Lushan, Jiangxi for a time.

The people nearby were famous for seeking medical treatment, but Dong Feng never asked for money. He only asked those who were cured of mild illnesses to plant an apricot tree, and those who were cured of serious illnesses to plant five apricot trees.

A few years later, there was a forest of apricot trees in front of Dong Feng's gate, stretching as far as the eye could see.

From then on, people called Chinese medicine Xinglin.

The fourth name is called Hanging Pot.

Legend has it that Fei Changfang of Runan, Henan, saw a gourd hanging on the pole of an old medicine seller on the street. The strange thing was that after dark, the old man jumped into the gourd.

In order to find out the details, Fei Changfang entertained him with wine. Later, the old man asked him to go into the gourd with him, where he saw the beautiful jade hall, delicious food and wine.

Fei Changfang immediately worshiped the old man as his teacher and learned the way of cultivating immortals.

Several years later, he became proficient in his art, resigned as a teacher and left the mountain. He also received a bamboo stick from Hu Weng for treating diseases and whipping ghosts. From then on, Xuan Hu practiced medicine.

Since then, the gourds hung around doctors’ waists and in front of clinics have become symbols of traditional Chinese medicine.