ABSTRACT
This essay sheds light on the nature of early Chinese medicine. It argues that the seeming incoherence of Chinese medicine as a concept reflects more than the diversity of practices and beliefs associated with the body in early times. It also owes much to the different circumstances in which ancient men and women practiced health care and healing. Towards this end, this essay explores the different contexts of medical practice: the temple, home, market, bureaucracy, and court.
