Chinese Coins and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Old Chinese "cash coins", which are
round copper or bronze coins with a square hole in the middle
surrounded by four Chinese characters, served as the major form
of currency in China for two thousand years.
It is less well known, however, that Chinese cash coins are believed to have curative powers and have historically played a role in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Old cash coins have been used in two ways. One was to have the patient boil the coins in water and then drink the decoction as a form of medicine. The second use was for the Chinese doctor to use a cash coin as a medical tool or instrument to "scrape" the skin along acupuncture meridians to force an illness to move and dissipate.
The following is an introduction to these two uses of old Chinese cash coins in traditional Chinese medicine.
Chinese Cash Coins as Medicine
According to ancient books on
traditional Chinese medicine, such as the authoritative Materia Medica (ben cao gang mu 本草纲目) written
during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD) and consisting of more than 52
volumes, old Chinese copper or bronze coins could be used in
medications to treat such maladies as heart and stomach pain, bladder
diseases, corneal opacity, fever, etc.
While any old Chinese bronze coin could be used, there were a few specific coins that tended to be favored by Chinese doctors.
Li Shi Zhen (李时珍), the author of Materia Medica, recommended using Kai Yuan Tong Bao cash coins and Chinese doctors for generations afterwards favored using this particular Tang Dynasty cash coin. The Kai Yuan Tong Bao (开元通宝), such as the one pictured at the left, was cast beginning in the year 621 AD during the reign of Emperor Gao Zu of the Tang Dynasty.
Use of particular coins by Chinese doctors during the later dynasties followed the general recommendation that cash coins "at least 500 years old" be used in medical procedures.
Ji Qu (纪朐), a doctor who lived during the Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), recorded that the Kai Yuan Tong Bao coin was particularly effective in healing broken bones.
Another cash coin that was
favored
for its medicinal properties was the
Zhou Yuan Tong Bao (周元通宝)
which was
cast beginning in the year 956 AD
during the reign of Emperor Shi Zong of the Late Zhou. A Zhou Yuan Tong Bao coin is shown at
the left. Metal for
the casting of these coins came from the melting down of Buddhist
statues and was, therefore, considered to be of very high
quality.
For hundreds of years, the Chinese have used this coin in medicine to
prevent miscarriages.
Chinese coins of the Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasties are mainly composed of copper, tin, iron, lead, and zinc along with the trace elements of barium, calcium, silver, and gold. Since the human body requires very small amounts of trace elements, it is possible that the trace elements in the cash coins provided those missing, or provided the necessary quantities, to cure or improve the health of those deficient in these necessary minerals.
However, there is one form of ancient Chinese bronze money that was not used in medicine and that is the knife shaped money (daobi 刀币) of the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BCE).
A "pointed" knife (jian shou dao 尖首刀), shown at the left, is an example of this ancient form of currency from the State of Yan.
Modern
analysis shows that, for example, the "ming"
character knives (ming zi dao
明字刀) of this same Warring States period are composed of
almost 50% lead. Serious health problems from lead poisoning
would have occurred if this ancient form of bronze money were used as
an
ingredient in
traditional Chinese medications.
Chinese Cash Coins as a Medical Tool
Note: To see how old Chinese cash coins were also used to
foretell the future, please visit Fortune-Telling
and Old Chinese Cash Coins.
Return to Ancient Chinese Charms and Coins
It is less well known, however, that Chinese cash coins are believed to have curative powers and have historically played a role in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Old cash coins have been used in two ways. One was to have the patient boil the coins in water and then drink the decoction as a form of medicine. The second use was for the Chinese doctor to use a cash coin as a medical tool or instrument to "scrape" the skin along acupuncture meridians to force an illness to move and dissipate.
The following is an introduction to these two uses of old Chinese cash coins in traditional Chinese medicine.
Chinese Cash Coins as Medicine
According to ancient books on
traditional Chinese medicine, such as the authoritative Materia Medica (ben cao gang mu 本草纲目) written
during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD) and consisting of more than 52
volumes, old Chinese copper or bronze coins could be used in
medications to treat such maladies as heart and stomach pain, bladder
diseases, corneal opacity, fever, etc. While any old Chinese bronze coin could be used, there were a few specific coins that tended to be favored by Chinese doctors.
Li Shi Zhen (李时珍), the author of Materia Medica, recommended using Kai Yuan Tong Bao cash coins and Chinese doctors for generations afterwards favored using this particular Tang Dynasty cash coin. The Kai Yuan Tong Bao (开元通宝), such as the one pictured at the left, was cast beginning in the year 621 AD during the reign of Emperor Gao Zu of the Tang Dynasty.
Use of particular coins by Chinese doctors during the later dynasties followed the general recommendation that cash coins "at least 500 years old" be used in medical procedures.
Ji Qu (纪朐), a doctor who lived during the Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), recorded that the Kai Yuan Tong Bao coin was particularly effective in healing broken bones.
Another cash coin that was
favored
for its medicinal properties was the
Zhou Yuan Tong Bao (周元通宝)
which was
cast beginning in the year 956 AD
during the reign of Emperor Shi Zong of the Late Zhou. A Zhou Yuan Tong Bao coin is shown at
the left. Metal for
the casting of these coins came from the melting down of Buddhist
statues and was, therefore, considered to be of very high
quality.
For hundreds of years, the Chinese have used this coin in medicine to
prevent miscarriages.Chinese coins of the Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasties are mainly composed of copper, tin, iron, lead, and zinc along with the trace elements of barium, calcium, silver, and gold. Since the human body requires very small amounts of trace elements, it is possible that the trace elements in the cash coins provided those missing, or provided the necessary quantities, to cure or improve the health of those deficient in these necessary minerals.
However, there is one form of ancient Chinese bronze money that was not used in medicine and that is the knife shaped money (daobi 刀币) of the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BCE).
A "pointed" knife (jian shou dao 尖首刀), shown at the left, is an example of this ancient form of currency from the State of Yan.
Modern
analysis shows that, for example, the "ming"
character knives (ming zi dao
明字刀) of this same Warring States period are composed of
almost 50% lead. Serious health problems from lead poisoning
would have occurred if this ancient form of bronze money were used as
an
ingredient in
traditional Chinese medications.Chinese Cash Coins as a Medical Tool
Old Chinese cash coins are also
used as a medical tool or instrument in a traditional Chinese medical
treatment called gua sha
(刮痧). Gua sha is a
Chinese medical technique that was historically used to reduce fever in
patients suffering from cholera but is also used in cases of sunstroke,
asthma, bronchitis, headaches, digestive disorders, etc.
Oil is first placed on the skin and then the edge of an old cash coin is used to scrape the skin along acupuncture meridians. It is believed that this medical procedure will help release the disease which is stagnant under the patient's skin.
The technique leaves some skin bruises but these fade away in a few days.
Many Chinese believe in gua sha and find it to be an effective medical treatment.
Nevertheless, there are doubters who claim that positive results are due to either the medicinal ingredients of the oil used or simply the patient's belief (placebo effect) that the procedure will work.
Oil is first placed on the skin and then the edge of an old cash coin is used to scrape the skin along acupuncture meridians. It is believed that this medical procedure will help release the disease which is stagnant under the patient's skin.
The technique leaves some skin bruises but these fade away in a few days.
Many Chinese believe in gua sha and find it to be an effective medical treatment.
Nevertheless, there are doubters who claim that positive results are due to either the medicinal ingredients of the oil used or simply the patient's belief (placebo effect) that the procedure will work.
Return to Ancient Chinese Charms and Coins
