Some scholars believe that the Miao father recorded in Chinese literature is the "king of medicine" in Miao legend. Miao people at the border of Hunan and Guizhou say that the drug king is a transparent, glassy, winged and flying god. He is not afraid of difficulties and obstacles, posing as a star Dai Yue Weimin "paying taxes" (that is, "finding a prescription" in the Miao language East). This legend is widely spread, and there are "drug kings" in all directions; Three thousand Miao medicines, eight hundred square meters. " Up to now, Miao doctors in Anlong, Zhenfeng, Qinglong and other places in southwest Guizhou still respect the "King of Medicine". To cure diseases in the process of practicing medicine, it is necessary to kill chickens to worship ancestors and worship the "medicine king". This legend is very similar to the legend of "Shennong tasting a hundred herbs" recorded in Huainanzi. "Shan Hai Jing" says: "To the north of Blackwater, there are people who have wings and are called Miao people." Among them, the legend of "winged", "winged" and "transparent" is the characteristic of Miao ancestors in the myth era, which shows that Miao medicine originated in the ancient myth era.
It is difficult to research the origin of Miao medicine because there is no record of its own national characters and historical facts, but we can still get a glimpse of its specific situation from many other documents, legends and ancient songs, which is characterized by its early origin and long history. The second is from the production and life practice of Miao nationality. Because Miao people live in areas rich in drug resources, they have learned and mastered the knowledge and medicinal value of plants earlier. Up to now, in Miao areas, almost everyone can know and master several or even dozens of drug therapies. In some places, some commonly used drugs are planted in the front and back of the courtyard of every household, which has formed the characteristic that people use herbs very widely. It is known as "all herbs are medicines and everyone can cure them". Historically, wizards in Chu often used Miao medicine as a witchcraft tool.
There are many records of Miao medicine, Acorus calamus and Eupatorium adenophorum in Chu Ci, and Eupatorium adenophorum was sacrificed in Han Tombs No.1 and No.2 of Mawangdui in Changsha, which shows that Miao medicine has a long history and is widely used. During Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Tang Meng ate beef stew in South Vietnam and asked where it came from. He said, "Northwest Daodao (Yang Ke)" (Historical Records? "Biography of the Southwest Yi Nationality", that is, in Gulangyang, and "Xingren County Records" contain: "The mountain is weak (the grass is weak), the flowers are like vines, the leaves are like water chestnuts, and the children are like mulberries. Camus pressed oil, which is sauce and spicy. Take its leaves and eat them wrapped in betel nuts, which means you can smash them. Miao women hold a ceremony and think it is different. "
Xingren is in the territory of Gu Yelang. As can be seen from the above records, Miao people have a long history of developing plant resources as food and medicine.
There are also many stories about the discovery of drugs in ancient times in the Miao's Ancient Songs. For example, there is an ancient song in southeastern Guizhou called Dian Ha, which tells that Ha Ge was unfortunately taken away by a tiger when he was a child and never returned for ten years. When he was found by his parents, his wildness did not change, and his voice was hoarse and he could not speak. Once I ran to the river and ate a lot of duckweed. Ha Ge not only spoke, but also got rid of the wildness. So Miao family has accumulated experience in treating duckweed hoarseness.
Although Miao people live in areas with lush vegetation and rich medicinal materials, they migrate frequently in the early days, and most of them go to remote mountainous areas and villages with boils. The natural conditions are very bad, but this environment has tempered the ability of Miao people in struggle for existence. Under this specific condition, it is absolutely impossible to guarantee the survival and reproduction of the nation without medical activities of earlier origin. Many well-known treatment methods and medication experiences of Miao people come from this struggle for existence. For example, the famous sugar medicine acupuncture therapy of Miao doctors is a unique external treatment method, which is widely spread in most areas of southwest Guizhou and northwest Guizhou. Miao doctors in Guanling Town and Ziyun of Guizhou have used this method almost all over the country.
Sugar medicine acupuncture therapy can be traced back to the crossbow medicine used in ancient crossbows. Judging from the composition of crossbow medicine, it is mainly that the ancient Miao people painted the highly toxic medicine juice of "seeing blood and sealing throat" on the tip of crossbow arrow to kill ferocious animals such as tigers and leopards. "Biography of Barbarians" states that barbarians (mainly referring to Miao Yao people) "protect themselves from mountain hazards, and although they have farm fields, they receive little grain and millet, but they use medicine to shoot them, taking birds and animals, that is, migrating to other places. Goodness is a medicine arrow, the winner cries out, and if the letter does not die, the medicine will be solved. "
Miao people still have hunting habits. It is certain that the Miao people used crossbow medicine in ancient times, but other ethnic groups also have crossbow medicine, which Miao people can apply to the treatment of diseases, which can be described as a creation. In the long process of using crossbow medicine by Miao people, the formulator deliberately subtracted the highly toxic ingredients, added honey and other ingredients to reduce the toxicity of the medicine, and used a special row of needles or three-edged needles dipped in the medicine juice to acupuncture the affected area. Simple operation, rapid treatment and little side effect. Sugar medicine needle is a unique external therapy for Miao medicine. It is a crossbow medicine invented from the hunting activities of Miao people in ancient times, and it is a strong evidence that Miao medicine originated from ancient life and production practice.