Makers › Physician / Medical Master
Hua Tuo
Late Eastern Han physician who gave patients the anaesthetic mafeisan before abdominal surgery and was put to death by Cao Cao for failing to return to his service
In a dispensary, a tall wooden cabinet of many small drawers stands behind a stone mortar and pestle, with herbs hanging from the beams; a copper scale, a clay pot on a small lit stove and baskets of leaves sit in front, and one person with a basket walks in the herb garden.
Also known as Zi Yuanhua
Hua Tuo, courtesy name Yuanhua, also called Fu, came from Qiao in Pei; he studied in Xu province and declined both a nomination from the chancellor of Pei and a summons from the Grand Commandant Huang Wan. According to his biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), when a growth lay beyond the reach of drugs and needles he had the patient drink mafeisan in wine until senseless, cut it out, and then sewed and salved the wound. Cao Cao, who suffered from headaches, kept him at hand, but Hua went home on the pretext of fetching a letter and stayed away, claiming his wife was ill; Cao had the excuse checked and Hua tortured to death in prison. Before dying he offered a medical book to the jailer, who was afraid to take it, so he burned it. When Cao's favourite son Cao Chong lay dying, Cao said he regretted killing Hua Tuo. His pupil Wu Pu carried on his five-animal exercises and Fan A his acupuncture.
Life and times
Dates Dates unknown; died before 208