[Changes of physician's position in ancient China and its influence on development of medicine].
The duty of physician during the Xia and western Zhou dynasties was undertaken concurrently by witch physician who occupied a very powerful and influential position. In the Eastern Zhou to Western Han dynasties, physician's position was, however, still inferior than the witch physician, however, physician was still free to practice, with considerable high social position. The periods from mid Western Han to Tang dynasties, as Confucianism became the orthodox ideology of the feudal society, physician's position is markedly lowered, with negative influence to the development of medicine. The rulers of the Song-Yuan dynasties paid high attention to medicine, thus, physician's social position was greatly upgraded, thus promoting the development of medicine. The position of physician in the Ming-Qing dynasties was unprecedentedly dropped, becoming a very negative factor to the development of medicine.
Liu
Li-Xiang
LX
Department of Medical History and Literature, Fujian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350003.
D002681:China; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine; D010820:Physicians