Plants, minerals, and raw materials of plant and animal origin have been basic ingredients of humanity's earliest medicines since ancient times. It is difficult to define the exact beginnings of Chinese medicine, but some of the oldest medical records date back to the 2nd century BCE. Manuscripts discovered in 1973 show that herbs and mixtures prepared from them were recommended to patients thousands of years ago.
In Anyang, the former capital of the Shang dynasty, oracle bones were discovered with information left by Shang priests about herbs, treatment methods and diagnosis. These sources show that they practiced warming and cooling the body, bloodletting, cleansing therapies and massage. They also valued diet and physical exercise. By the 7th century CE, Chinese physicians could recognize diabetes, and in the 10th century CE they introduced vaccines against infectious diseases. Since then, Chinese medicine has continued to develop. Traditional medicines prepared according to centuries-old formulas have been modified based on clinical experience. Before being introduced to the market, medicines are tested and approved, and include detailed information about their composition, properties, action and indications.