Yi Xu (also Yi Jie, Yi Jiao, Yi Ju) (, 2nd-century BC), was a Chinese physician. She is known as one of the famous four female physicians in Chinese history, along with

Zhang Xiaoniang Zhang Xiaoniang (11th-century), was a Chinese physician. She is known as one of the famous four female physicians in Chinese history, along with Yi Jia of Western Han dynasty, Gu Bao of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty and Tan Yunxian, wh ...

Northern Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...

Gu Bao Bao Gu (, ), 4th-century, also known as Pao Ku Ko), was a Chinese Taoist physician. She was the daughter of accomplished Taoist practitioner and governor Bao Jing, and the wife of Ge Hong, who is the author of ''Baopuzi''. She is also known as ...

of the

Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...

and

Tan Yunxian Tan Yunxian (; 1461–1554) was a Chinese physician during the Ming dynasty. Life Tan's grandmother was the daughter of a physician. In fact, one reason Tan's grandfather married her grandmother was to learn medicine himself. Two of her grandparen ...

, who was active during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

. She was active during the reign of

Emperor Wu of Han Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), born Liu Che and courtesy name Tong, was the seventh Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty from 141 to 87 BC. His reign lasted 54 years – a record not broken until the reign of the Kangxi ...

. Some scholars suggest she was the first female physician in Chinese history. She is recorded as having given medical treatment to the Empress Dowager,

Wang Zhi (empress) Empress Xiaojing (孝景皇后, 180s? BC – 25 June 126 BC), of the Wang clan, also known by her birth name Wang Zhi (王娡) and by the title Madame Wang (), was an empress during the Han dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Jing ...

, and, in general, she served as a physician who treated the women who lived within the royal palace.

References

2nd-century BC births 2nd-century BC deaths 2nd-century BC Chinese women 2nd-century BC Chinese people Ancient women physicians {{China-bio-stub