Book excerpt: This book set covers the last 3000 years of Chinese Medicine, as a broadly flowing river, from its source to its mouth. It takes the story from the very beginnings in proto-scientific China to the modern age, with a wealth of historical and cultural detail. It is unique in presenting many anecdotes, sayings, and excerpts from the traditional classics.The content is organized into four parts. Part one focuses on the medical activities in Chinese primitive society and the characteristic features of the witchcraft stage of medicine. Part two traces the progress of Chinese medicine as it entered the stage of natural philosophy. It also discusses how other aspects of philosophy, religion, and politics influenced Chinese medical theory and practice at the time. Chinese medicine, having a kind of social existence, was also impacted by the natural and social environment, and multiple cultural factors. Some of these factors are discussed in Part three. The last part concludes by examining the cultural process of Chinese medicine in history and offers a glimpse into the future of Chinese Medicine.