摘要
B OTTLE gourds,or calabash,have long been taken as auspicious objects in China.With a small mouth and a big stomach,they were used as containers in times past.In ancient times,doctors would often hang a bottle gourd in front of their stall,which was originally used to hold medicine.Gradually,bottle gourds evolved into a symbol that represented doctors of traditional Chinese medicine.Meanwhile,the Chinese idiom Xuanhu Jishi(hanging a calabash to help people)came into being,praising the benevolence of medical practitioners who save patients in times of pain.
