Images of Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors in Chinese Literature

Chen' Ko ORCID: 0009-0004-6334-8351 Phd of the Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Philology, RUDN 119361, Russia, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10-2a kuo.chen@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

 The concept of “image", which helps us better understand and explain complex phenomena and principles, plays a key role in many scientific disciplines. From Halperin's point of view, images are "all mental reflections in which objects and relations of the objective world open up to the subject. Images open up the surrounding world to the subject and the opportunity to navigate in it" ^{[4, p.37]}. In philosophy, it is interpreted: "an image is the result and ideal form of reflection of an object in human consciousness, arising in the conditions of socio-historical practice, on the basis and in the form of sign systems" ^{[14, p.111]}. In cultural studies, an image is "a phenomenon that arises as a result of imprinting one object in another, acting as a perceiving formation - spiritual or physical ^{[11, p.28]}. That is why the concept of image in neuropsycholinguistics can help us understand how the brain processes and understands language, and better understand the relationship between language and the brain.

As an important part of traditional Chinese culture, traditional Chinese medicine and the TCM doctor not only play an important role in the field of medicine, but also have a rich image in literature. With the change of time, social and cultural context, the images of "doctors" in different periods, in different social conditions and by different writers carry different themes and connotations of time. In the vast ocean of literature, the image of a TCM doctor is like a bright pearl emitting a unique light. With vivid brushstrokes and rich imagination, the authors painted a legendary picture of practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, who are either wonderful healers with miraculous hands, or wise men with a deep understanding of how to maintain health. The image of TCM doctors is like a mysterious scroll containing the wisdom of reconciling yin and yang. They use therapeutic methods: examination, listening, questioning and pulse palpation to understand the nature of diseases. They also follow the concept of the unity of “heaven and humanity” in order to explore the true meaning of health. Such classical theories and methods of TCM as yin and yang, the five elements, meridians, qi and blood permeate the entire literature, giving these images a deeper connotation and charm.

Images of TCM doctors serve as a bridge to the other side of cognitive psychoneurolinguistics. These images are not only a literary treasure, but also the key to our understanding of human thinking, emotions and language. They also reflect the deep cultural heritage of Chinese medicine, and the desire and pursuit of health and life. Through in-depth study of the image of TCM doctors in literary works, we can look into the mystery of the psychoneurocognitive language system, gain a deep understanding of the status and role of TCM doctors in various historical periods and cultural contexts, learn about the connotations and values of TCM culture, feel the intertwining and collision between the wisdom of TCM doctors and human emotions, and at the same time identify the connection between literary works and social reality. Together we will be able to enter the world of literature, explore the mystery of the image of a doctor and TCM, appreciate wisdom and charm.

The main material for this article is the works of Chinese literature from antiquity to the present, in which the doctor is the subject of creativity or the image of a doctor is depicted. Through the textual interpretation of typical works of each period, the character traits of the image of the doctor are interpreted. The evolution of the image of a doctor in Chinese literature and its cultural connotations are analyzed in the light of the specific era in which the writer created the work, the social and cultural background, as well as the subjective emotions of the writer.

The result and their discussion

Images of TCM doctors in classical Chinese literature:

In classical Chinese literature, the image of a Chinese medicine doctor is usually depicted as a highly qualified doctor with high medical skills and morality. These images may reflect aspects of the TCM doctor's experience, treatment methods, and interaction with the patient.

In classical Chinese literature, the images of Chinese doctors can be divided into the following types:

General: These doctors treat patients through a "licensed practice", similar to modern private clinics, and often have official or private recognition. Of all the types of doctors' orders that are found in the classical literature, this type is the most common. Due to the uniqueness of their profession and their contribution to the development of society, these doctors could have a high social status in society. They can treat a wide variety of people - from officials to commoners. For example, the doctor is Hu Junrong and the doctor is Wang In the novel "Dream in the Red Chamber - a (one of the four classic novels in Chinese)". In the novel, Hu is a charlatan with a black soul, and according to his diagnosis of Qingwen's disease, it is clear that he did not understand medicine, and he has not yet found out who is treating him - a man or a woman, and then prescribed a "potent drug" to the girl.  In chapter 83, the girl Lin Daiyu suffered from stagnation of qi in the liver and had symptoms such as dizziness and lethargy, frequent dreams and light awakening. After diagnosing her pulse, Dr. Wang noted that these symptoms were caused by liver yin deficiency and depletion of heart qi. Therefore, he prescribed medications for her treatment. The frequent appearance of images of general doctors in classical literature can serve as a basis for studying the process and method of diagnosis and treatment of doctors of that time. Although their medical skills and merits are different, in the diagnostic process they mostly followed the general TCM process of "examination, listening, questioning and pulse palpation" ^[20].

Officialdom: Doctors with excellent medical skills or high family status become "imperial doctors" who specialize in serving the ruling class and the upper nobility. There are several images of doctors in the novel "The Dream in the Red Chamber", including a detailed description of the diagnosis of diseases and the use of medicines by the imperial doctor, for example, an episode of the pulse examination by the imperial doctor for the Jia ward, which demonstrates the exquisite medical skills of the doctor and careful monitoring of the patient's condition, as well as his professionalism and skills. The novel also examines various images of TCM, including theories of TCM, prescriptions, medicines, diagnostic methods, etc., all of which correspond to the traditional Chinese way of reasoning ^[20]. The image of TCM doctors in one of the four classic novels "River Backwaters - " is reflected mainly in the image of military doctors Liangshanpo (place). The doctors in the novel have high medical skills and treat the wounds and illnesses of many Liangshan characters, such as An Daoquan treats Song Jiang for back gangrene, which no doctor could cure. Initially, he headed the clinic, but after going to Liangshan, he became a military doctor, and then moved to the imperial hospital, where he became a specialized doctor of the emperor ^[20]. An Daoquan is a rather specific image of a Chinese medicine doctor who has moved from a general type to an official type of doctor. An Daoquan's image demonstrates excellent medical skills and TCM's benevolence. Its existence also gives the story a legendary flavor. In addition, the novel mentions other methods of treating TCM, such as acupuncture and moxibustion, patches, etc., when doctors diagnose the disease process.

Their images are indispensable for depicting the main characters of the novel, expressing the theme and plot development. As imperial doctors, they naturally have excellent medical skills, which most authors feel positively about.

Free: doctors without a specific place of diagnosis, traveling among people. These doctors are often referred to as "-langzhun" and "-itinerant doctors", whose medical skills were very different, and they could either cheat and seek benefits, or be highly qualified doctors with a heart striving for peace and willing to help people around the world. Therefore, among the types of doctors depicted in classical novels, there are often different versions of the image of a free wandering doctor.

In the novel The Three Kingdoms, Hua To was presented as a divine doctor with great medical skills that cover all areas. In the novel, Guan Yu was wounded by a poisoned arrow in his left arm, and Hua To, who was an intelligent and capable doctor, traveled nearby. After carefully examining the patient's condition, he came to the conclusion: a large number of poisons have accumulated in the body, which must be extracted by scraping bones in order to be cured ^[20]. In general, Hua To is presented in the novel as a doctor with high medical skills and high moral qualities. Treating arrow wounds in such a unique way required not only great skill from Hua To, but also a sense of care and responsibility for his patients. Hua To traveled all over the world, treating people regardless of their wealth, and his medical skills and medical ethics earned him wide recognition. His image has also become a symbol of TCM, embodying the exquisite skill of a Chinese doctor and the spirit of “helping the whole world with a pot (medicine)”. In general, the image of Hua To has become a symbol of the free type of TCM doctors.

As it was shown above, in classical Chinese literature there are both good doctors and bad doctors-charlatans. These images of good TCM doctors in classical literature not only reflect the author's respect and recognition of Chinese medicine doctors, but also reflect the general perception and assessment of TCM in the society of that time from the point of view of psychology and thinking. In classical literature, firstly, the images of a quack doctor usually act in a satirical and critical role, revealing such possible shortcomings of the medical profession as low qualifications of a doctor and lack of medical ethics. Secondly, the image of charlatans can be used as a contrast to emphasize the value of doctors who are truly qualified and ethical. Such a contrast can make the reader appreciate and respect those doctors who are truly professional and responsible.

Images of TCM doctors in modern Chinese literature:

In modern Chinese literature, the image of TCM doctors has various characteristics. On the one hand, some authors are critical of TCM doctors and portray TCM doctors as quack doctors. For example, in the short story "Diary of a Madman" Lu Xun portrays Dr. He as an "executioner" who eats people. Dr. He in the story is a TCM doctor with traditional feudal beliefs. He did not worry about the condition of a madman and treated a madman according to generally accepted methods, not following the principles of TCM, which consist in "an individual approach to each person and scientifically based treatment." Instead, he believed that the madman had "gone mad" because he was possessed by a demon. Such a simple diagnosis and treatment of the mental state of a madman reflected the ignorance and backwardness of charlatans ^[18]. In another story, "Tomorrow" by Lu Xun, the image of a charlatan doctor (He Xiaoxian) TCM is described, who did not care about the condition of the worker's little son, but simply lazily "stretched out two fingers and pressed the pulse," "closed his eyes, saying half an offer," and then easily took away from the worker "thirteen little ones silver coins and one hundred and eighty copper coins that she saved every day." When the child was out of breath, he diagnosed that his food was stagnant and wrote out a prescription called "child's life protection pill", which could only be found in a single pharmacy. In fact, in the end, the child's life could not be saved. It can be said that the author of the stories adhered to a strong satirical attitude towards the TCM doctors, but his own indignation of the "doctors" splashed out on their ugly image, through which a deep criticism of feudal and decadent society was revealed. Analyzing the above images of Chinese medicine doctors, it can be found that their verbal expressions and diagnostic methods did not allow patients to accurately describe their illnesses in terms of awareness of brain thinking and psychology. At the same time, these doctors were unable to understand the psychological state of the patient by observing his verbal expression and emotional state.

On the other hand, some authors have a positive attitude towards Chinese medicine doctors, presenting them as experts in the field of medicine or cultural carriers. For example, Guo Baochang's novel "The Big House" depicts a typical image of a Chinese medicine doctor - Bai Jingqi. He was born into a family of TCM doctors, studied Chinese medicine from childhood with a famous doctor, was so smart and hardworking that he could write prescriptions at the age of 14. During his life, he developed many types of recipes for the treatment of diseases ^[19]. It can be said that Bai Jingqi is a doctor with high medical skills and full of reverence for TCM, and his image also embodies the essence and value of Chinese folk medicine.

The analysis showed that writers use various techniques in depicting images of TCM doctors in order to create a deeper impression of them among readers, for example, through detailed descriptions of the diagnosis and treatment process, appearance, speech and behavior of TCM doctors, so that readers can feel the professionalism and self-confidence of TCM doctors. And through dialogues showing the interaction between doctors and their patients to give readers an understanding of the concepts and treatment methods of TCM doctors.

Conclusion

Analyzing the images of "doctors" in typical works of different periods of Chinese literature, it is not difficult to find that the images of "doctors" of TCM are numerous and diverse:

1. High medical skills and extensive knowledge: The doctors of traditional Chinese medicine depicted in many works have excellent skills in accurate diagnosis of diseases. They are often portrayed as wise and experienced doctors who are trusted and respected by their patients. In addition, the knowledge of a doctor often required such fields of knowledge as botany, psychology, geography and others. Doctors do not limit themselves to medical treatment, but use psychotherapy to alleviate the patient's condition from the inside.

2. The problematic image of TCM doctors:  Such problems faced by TCM doctors in society as incorrect diagnosis by charlatans, the desire of doctors for material gain and power, denial of the achievements of modern medical technologies and people's doubt in traditional concepts.

3. Combination with traditional culture: the image of a TCM doctor is often closely associated with such traditional Chinese culture as the theories of yin and yang, the five elements, meridians, qi and blood, etc., which give the image of a TCM doctor a deeper cultural connotation.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the image of a Chinese medicine doctor in literature is a complex and multifaceted topic. These images not only reflect the authors' understanding and views on Chinese medicine, but also reflect people's ideas about health, life and human nature at different times and in different cultures. The presentation of images of TCM doctors in Chinese literature lays the foundation for further research on the relationship between TCM and neuropsycholinguistics in the future, and also provides us with an important perspective for understanding and transmitting TCM culture.