Is ancient Chinese medicine witchcraft?

First of all, this "ancient" is very unclear. Before the Opium War can be called "ancient".

So we will discuss this in stages.

1. During the Zhou Dynasty, witchcraft and medicine were not separate. Han Yu's "teacher" on the use of "witch doctor" said, when the sorcerer and physician for the same person, the ancients more help in the ghosts and gods in order to cure the disease, so the witch doctor is often mentioned. Therefore, the word "medicine" is written as "毉" in ancient times.

Because the medical theory was not developed, a lot of medical knowledge by the sorcerer to do a very mysterious explanation. And in the form of looking at the use of witchcraft, creating a witchcraft atmosphere, the psychological effect of comfort and spiritual support to the patient, the real treatment of physical illness, or borrowing drugs, or take technical treatment. The dual nature of witch doctors (the application and obstruction of medicine) determines their mixed merits and demerits to the development of medicine.

2. During the Spring and Autumn Period, witchcraft and medicine began to separate. Witchcraft began to specialize in ghosts and gods, and medicine specialized in treating the sick and saving people.

The iconic figure is the emergence of the magpie.

The Historical Records of China - Bian Magpie biography of the warning: "believe in witchcraft, not believe in medicine, six do not cure also"