Essential Readings in Traditional Chinese Medicine

This is a comprehensive reference that sets out traditional Chinese medicine from first principles. Its strength lies in its clear structure: Part One addresses theory, linking the yin-yang and five-phase doctrines, visceral manifestations, meridians, causes and mechanisms of disease, the four diagnostics, pattern differentiation and treatment principles into a single thread, with nearly one hundred charts and tables that make abstract concepts concrete; Part Two addresses herbs and formulas, both arranged by function so that items can be compared within their categories; Part Three addresses clinical practice, divided into internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology and pediatrics, with pattern differentiation, formulas and a range of therapies discussed under each disorder. For the newcomer, it offers a complete map of TCM; for the practicing physician, it is a reference to keep close at hand. Most of the contributors are specialists with decades of clinical experience, and the writing prizes practicality—little empty theorizing, many entries—with formula mnemonics to aid memory, in the classic style of older TCM teaching materials. One caveat: the book was completed in the 1990s, and its modern research, clinical reports and dosages bear the mark of their time. Readers should treat it as a source of frameworks and ideas, while specific formulas and dosages should follow current textbooks, pharmacopoeia and clinical standards.