Hua Tuo is a famous physician of the Han Dynasty who is so widely respected that his name and image adorn numerous products (e.g.,as a brand name for acupuncture needles and for medicated plasters) and a set of frequently used acupuncture points (called Hua Tuo Jiaji,see Appendix).He is known for the early qi gong exercise set known as the frolics of the five animals,in which one imitates the actions of tigers,deer,bears,apes,and birds; these practices were later incorporated into various health promoting martial arts practices,such as taijiquan.His name is always mentioned in relation to surgery,as he was considered the first surgeon of China,and one of the last famous surgeons of ancient China.He has been compared,in this regard,to Jivaka of India,who lived at the time of Buddha (about 500 B.C.) and was renowned for surgery,but had no significant successors until the modern era when surgery was reintroduced by Western doctors.
