清代民間秘密宗教在下層社會相當盛行，諸多教派師父經常扮演醫者角色，為患者治病療傷，此種醫療功能是其吸引群眾入教的主要緣由之一。這些求治的患者病症各有不同，其患病種類頗多，依其性質大約可分傳染病與身體器官等方面的病痛。患者與秘密教派師父接觸途徑，包括彼此具宗族、鄉鄰等熟識關係，或是透過口碑、引介、乃至師父主動勸說而求醫。基本上，患者在擇醫過程未必深刻瞭解師父醫療背景，只因風聞其治病名聲，旋嘗試前往就醫。 秘密教派師父治病療法包括坐功運氣、跪香念經、畫符念咒、服飲茶水等形式，因療程尚屬簡易，故多數患者皆能依其指示進行治療或虔誠修持。日後患者因被醫癒或師父勸說等緣由入教，將原本的醫病關係深化為師徒關係。總之，秘密教派醫療活動在底層社會仍具生存空間，既能適時提供民眾另一條求醫管道，又能藉機吸收教徒，擴展教派組織。

The development of folk secret religious sects flourished in Ch'ing period. The sects were widely prevalent among the lower strata society. Many masters of the sects often played the roles of healers to cure the patients, and preached their sects by means of medical treatment, which was one of most important reasons to attract common people to joint their religious activities. The types of patients' diseases were different, and they maybe were divided into contagious disease or other organic suffering. There were some ways that the patients could inquire about the medical skills of the masters. First, the patients made acquaintance with the masters, and there were some clan or neighborhood connection between them. Secondly, the patients contacted the masters by public praise, or introduce of other people. Thirdly, the patients were persuaded by the initiative urge of the masters. Basically, the patients did not know the background or medical methods of the masters in the process of seeking healers. When they just heard the information about medical ability of the masters, they tried to come to cure eagerly. The medical methods of the sects which the masters often utilized included circulation of breath, burning joss sticks, reciting scripture and incantation, drawing charms, drinking charm water, etc. Because the folk medical treatment of these masters was simpler and easier, the patients were willing to follow the direction of the masters or to learn the lessons of the sects sincerely. The patients were often easy to attend the sects because they were cured very well or persuaded by the masters, and their healer-patient relation turned into master- believer relation deeply. In short, there was some space of development about the religious medical treatment of the sects among the lower strata society. For the sects provided medical treatment for many patients timely, it was useful for the sects to attract more believers and to extend their organization.