[Medical treatment in the Chu Palace of the Western Han Dynasty:the medicinal pestle and mortar].

The copper pestle and mortar from "Eunuch Pharmacy" (Huan Zhe Yao Fu), unearthed in the pit for bathing in the tomb of the King Chu in the Shi Zi Mountain, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, was a medical device used for "Eunuch Pharmacy" (Huan Zhe Yao Fu) in the Palace of the King Chu in the Western Han Dynasty. The appearance of copper pestle and mortar with the amount of copper, and the bath apparatus indicates that there was a practice of medical bathing at that time. According to archaeological findings and relevant literature, "Eunuch Pharmacy" (Huan Zhe Yao Fu) was a medical institution which was in charge of eunuchs in the Palace of the King Chu. These findings show that two medical systems existed in the Palace of the King Chu in the Western Han Dynasty. One was the medical system headed by medical officials, another was a medical administrative service organization and mainly implemented by eunuchs, managing the palace medicine and related instruments, processing and using medicine, and testing medicine.