Sun Simiao

Pioneering physician who revolutionized traditional Chinese medicine

Known as China's 'King of Medicine', Sun Simiao (581-682 AD) transformed healthcare through his groundbreaking medical compendium Beiji Qian Jin Yao Fang (Essential Formulas for Emergencies Worth a Thousand Gold). This 30-volume work systematically documented treatments for various diseases while emphasizing preventive medicine and medical ethics - revolutionary concepts in 7th-century healthcare.

His humanitarian approach broke class barriers in medicine, insisting that physicians should treat all patients equally regardless of social status. Sun pioneered early understandings of nutrition's role in health, detailing the medicinal properties of 233 different foods in his Qian Jin Yi Fang supplement.

Notable innovations included:

• First detailed description of beriberi
• Early smallpox prevention methods
• Advanced acupuncture techniques
• Comprehensive pediatric treatments

Sun's medical ethics code predated Western equivalents by nearly a millennium, establishing core principles still taught in Chinese medical schools today. His work became foundational for East Asian medicine and influenced global medical development through Silk Road exchanges.