Parasites Between the Ancient China and Western Culture

Ancient Chinese documents of the 2nd century BC were written with regard to the first parasites that can afflict the health of human beings. During the Chinese Sui dynasty, a book entitled Ch’ao-Scih-Ping-Yuan written by Ch’ao-Yuan-Fang, disseminated a medical theory describing, for the first time, nine worms responsible for various diseases. However, this theory was not supported by any microscopic studies. In addition to human parasites, the Far East also struggled with fleas, bugs, ticks, and lice. The Chinese used cinnabar smoke to combat these pests and peach tree extract to repel fleas. In the history of medicine, and in particular in the field of contagious diseases, ancient China was ahead of Western knowledge by centuries. The ancient Chinese understood that some diseases were contagious and had observed, for example, that those who had contracted smallpox, were no longer infected once they healed. Thus, they adopted the practice of infecting healthy children with the disease in order to build immunity