Classified Appraisal of Famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulas

Name: Classified Appraisal of Famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulas
ISBN: 9787513243506

张均克China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine · ChinaApr 2024

Rating 3.9

Word count: 159K words
Chapters: 33
ISBN: 9787513243506

Summary

In The Classified Compendium of Renowned Chinese Medicine Formulas, formulas are categorized by a method combining treatment principles with therapeutic functions, divided into 22 categories: exterior-releasing, purgative, harmonizing, heat-clearing, summerheat-dispelling, interior-warming, dual-release, tonifying, astringent, spirit-calming, orifice-opening, qi-regulating, blood-quickening and stasis-removing, bleeding-stopping, wind-treating, dryness-treating, dampness-dispelling, phlegm-dispelling, food-resolving and accumulation-reducing, worm-expelling, emetic, and abscess and sore. This classification is both systematically complete and suited to practical application.

Because formula comparisons are often made across categories, and to facilitate cluster analysis, apart from the food-resolving and accumulation-reducing formulas and the abscess and sore formulas, which have second- and third-level subdivisions, the remaining chapters are not further divided into subcategories.

Editor's review

This book takes the combination of treatment methods and therapeutic functions as its main thread of classification, organizing formulas into twenty-two categories: releasing the exterior, purgation, harmonization, clearing heat, dispelling summerheat, warming the interior, dual release, tonification, stabilization and astringency, calming the spirit, opening the orifices, regulating qi, invigorating blood and dispelling stasis, stopping bleeding, treating wind, treating dryness, dispelling dampness, dispelling phlegm, promoting digestion and resolving accumulation, expelling parasites, emesis, and sores and abscesses. Together these form a relatively complete disciplinary framework for formulas. Its value lies in the idea of "categorical appraisal": formulas of the same category are presented together, making it easy for readers to grasp, through comparison, the differences among formulas with similar functions and the discretion required in selecting them, rather than memorizing individual formulas in isolation. In terms of arrangement, apart from digestion-promoting and accumulation-resolving formulas and sores and abscesses formulas, which are given second- and third-level subdivisions, the remaining chapters are not further divided into subcategories. This reduces fragmentation across levels and also accommodates the practical need for categorical formula differentiation, which often cuts across categories. It is suitable as a reference book for horizontal comparison, review and consolidation, and training in clinical formula-selection thinking after systematic study of formula science; it is also helpful for teaching in organizing thematic comparisons of categorical formulas. When reading, one should refer back and forth between chapters on specific treatment methods, note the differences within similarities among formulas of similar function, and avoid memorizing solely by formula name or single herb.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students at Chinese medicine colleges who need to review categorical formulas through horizontal comparison after studying formula science
Clinical practitioners of Chinese medicine who wish to quickly retrieve and compare formulas of the same category by treatment method and function
Teachers of formula science who need to organize thematic teaching and discussion on categorical formula differentiation
Chinese medicine enthusiasts who already possess basic theory and wish to systematically organize the framework of formulas

Not a good fit for

Readers with no foundation, who lack basic concepts of Chinese herbs and formulas, will find the reading threshold rather high
Readers hoping to look up formulas directly by disease name or seeking a quick-reference manual for symptomatic use
Readers expecting a wealth of case records and clinical anecdotes, with an emphasis on entertaining reading

Reading tips

First read the general introduction to classification, clarify the logic behind the twenty-two categories, and then move on to specific chapters.
For each category, select two or three formulas of similar function for comparative reading, noting similarities, differences, and key points for selection.
Use it alongside the formula-science textbook being studied, as an aid for review and horizontal linking.
When making cross-category differentiations, keep notes and indexes for later reference by treatment method and function.

About the publisher

China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine China · Founded in 1989

China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on publishing books in traditional Chinese medicine, covering Chinese medical classics, clinical medicine, acupuncture and tuina, materia medica and formulae, and medical history and literature; its catalogue includes 3,277 titles. Representative books include Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue, Shang Han Lun, Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu, Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, Yi Zong Jin Jian, and Guo Aichun's Annotated Huangdi Neijing Suwen (Second Edition). These works involve writings by historical physicians such as Qian Yi, Zhang Zhongjing, Wang Shuhe, and Zhang Xichun, as well as documentary studies compiled by contemporary authors including Zhao Xin, Zhen Xueyan, Zhang Yongtai, and Wang Xiangang. In terms of publishing characteristics, the press emphasizes collation and annotation of original Chinese medical classics and the systematic presentation of famous physicians' works, balancing the transmission of ancient editions with reference for clinical application. Public information is limited, and no other publishing fields are covered here.

版权信息
连序
凡例
第1章解表剂
第2章泻下剂
第3章和解剂
第4章清热剂
第5章祛暑剂
第6章温里剂
第7章双解剂
第8章补益剂
第9章固涩剂
第10章安神剂
第11章开窍剂
第12章理气剂
第13章活血祛瘀剂
第14章止血剂
第15章治风剂
第16章治燥剂
第17章祛湿剂
第18章祛痰剂
第19章消导化积剂
第1节消食导滞
第2节健脾消食
第3节消痞化积
第4节消癥化积
第20章驱虫剂
第21章涌吐剂
第22章痈疡剂
第1节治外疡剂
第2节治内痈剂
后记
方剂名称拼音索引

FAQ

How does this book's classification differ from that of common formula textbooks?

This book adopts a classification method that combines treatment methods with therapeutic functions, dividing formulas into twenty-two categories including releasing the exterior, purgation, harmonization, and clearing heat. It maintains disciplinary systematicity while staying close to practical application. Compared with classification solely by treatment method or solely by disease pattern, it makes it easier to place formulas of similar function together for comparison and is suitable for training in categorical formula differentiation.

Why are most chapters no longer divided into subcategories?

Because categorical formula differentiation often needs to be carried out across categories, and overly detailed levels tend to fragment comparative relationships. Apart from digestion-promoting and accumulation-resolving formulas and sores and abscesses formulas, which have second- and third-level subdivisions, the remaining chapters are not further divided into subcategories. The aim is to facilitate cluster analysis and allow readers to compare formulas of similar function horizontally at the same level.

Can this book be read directly without a foundation in formula science?

It is not very advisable. This book focuses on categorical appraisal and comparison and assumes that readers have already mastered the basic composition, functions, and indications of formulas. Readers with no foundation should first study a formula-science textbook and establish concepts of individual formulas before using this book for horizontal organization and differentiation; otherwise, they may easily remain at the level of memorizing formula names.

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About the author

张均克 Author · Chinese

Zhang Junke is a Chinese author about whom limited public information is available. At present, he is known only as the author of Zhongyi Mingfang Leijian (A Classified Survey of Famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulas), a work catalogued in the field of medicine. As the title suggests, the book takes classic traditional Chinese formulas as its subject and organizes and examines them by category, making it a work of compilation in the study of Chinese formula science. Writing of this kind generally focuses on the sources, composition, functions and compatibility principles of formulas, with clear categories and easy reference in mind; it may serve clinical and teaching purposes in Chinese medicine and also suit readers with an interest in traditional Chinese medical knowledge. As only one work by this author is held in the collection, and nothing can be confirmed about his dates, native place, education or career, this note makes no conjecture about his life and confines itself to a brief account of the subject and approach of his extant work, leaving further details to be supplemented by public sources.