华佗精通内、外、妇、儿、针灸各科，尤以外科著称，相传发明「麻沸散」用于手术麻醉，是世界医学史上应用全身麻醉的早期记载之一。他还创编「五禽戏」，以模仿虎、鹿、熊、猿、鸟五种动物姿态强身健体，是中国最早的医疗保健体操之一。晚年因拒绝长期为曹操侍疾而获罪身亡，所著医书大多散佚。

Hua Tuo was skilled across internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, and acupuncture, and is best remembered for surgery. He is credited with developing "mafeisan," an anesthetic compound used before operations — among the earliest recorded uses of general anesthesia in medical history anywhere. He also devised the "Five Animal Frolics," an exercise routine imitating the tiger, deer, bear, ape, and bird, regarded as one of China's earliest therapeutic exercise systems. He was executed late in life after refusing to remain permanently in the service of the warlord Cao Cao, and most of his writings were lost.