Concept

Preventive treatment

治未病zhi wei bing
1 source

In Chinese medicine, the principle of acting on disease before it arises. The Neijing holds that the sage attends to what is not yet ill rather than what is already ill, and orders what is not yet disordered (聖人不治已病治未病). It is the classical basis for prevention and for forestalling the progression of an established disease.

Source

Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor)《素问·四气调神大论》（内经选读下篇·摄生·原文8009）

References
  • 《内经》六微旨大论/玉机真藏论/平人气象论/四气调神大论/至真要大论/五常政大论等综合理解
Full definition

Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.

聖人不治已病治未病，不治已亂治未亂

Citations
  • Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor) · 托名黄帝/岐伯（先秦—西汉医家辑） · 《素问·四气调神大论》（内经选读下篇·摄生·原文8009）Cited from Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor) for its definition.