Kung Fu or Tauist Medical Gymnastics (Illustrated)

This is an extremely rare 19th century treatise on Chinese medicine, particularly the practices of the Kung Fu school. Although best known for a fighting style, Kung Fu includes a whole range of medical practices based on late Taoist alchemy. Dudgeon describes the use of yoga-like postures, movements similar to Tai Chi, the use of healing sounds similar to mantras, as well as massage and other techniques. He gives specifics of compounds used to treat a wide range of ailments in conjunction with the other methods, describes Taoist deities and sages, and gives extensive background on Chinese medical theory. This text is an invaluable look at the esoteric medical practices of the Chinese prior to the 20th century.