Category of Cold Damage Disorders

Chen MengleiJun 2024

3.5

Word count: 379K words
Chapters: 25

Summary

When the ancient sages taught those below, they always said: deficient pathogenic qi and thieving wind should be avoided in accordance with the seasons; with calm detachment and emptiness, true qi follows; when spirit is guarded within, how could illness arise?

Editor's review

Shanghan Men opens with classic passages from the Huangdi Neijing, such as "deficient pathogenic qi and thieving wind should be avoided in accordance with the seasons," and discusses the causes, prevention, and regulation of externally contracted cold damage, bearing a distinct traditional Chinese health-cultivation character. The book emphasizes following the four seasons, calm detachment, and guarding the spirit within, combining disease prevention with self-cultivation and embodying the Chinese medical idea of "treating before illness arises." The text is concise and classical in tone, suitable as an introductory reader for understanding traditional cold-damage theory and health-cultivation concepts. Read with annotations to appreciate how medicine and philosophy intertwine; it can serve as daily health reference or as supplementary material for studying Chinese medical classics. For readers interested in traditional health wisdom and in finding life insights in classics, the book offers a concentrated set of textual clues and room for reflection.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Chinese medicine's cold-damage theory and traditional health cultivation
Those wishing to learn seasonal disease prevention and emotional regulation from classics
Chinese medicine college students needing supplementary reading of classical texts
Readers who enjoy short classical prose and are willing to read slowly for traditional wisdom

Not a good fit for

Professional physicians seeking modern clinical treatment plans or specific formulas
Readers accustomed to long vernacular explanations and lacking patience for classical Chinese
Those wanting a systematic study of the complete pattern-differentiation system of the Treatise on Cold Damage

Reading tips

Read the original first, then use annotations to understand core concepts such as "deficient pathogenic qi and thieving wind" sentence by sentence.
Take reading notes tied to seasonal changes, mapping prevention principles onto daily routines.
Read alongside relevant chapters of the Huangdi Neijing to appreciate the origins of Chinese medical health-cultivation thought.
After reading, try restating the key points in a paragraph of plain language to check your understanding.

版权信息
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百三十五
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百三十六
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百三十七
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百三十八
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百三十九
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十一
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十二
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十三
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十四
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十五
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十六
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十七
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十八
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百四十九
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十一
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十二
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十三
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十四
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十五
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十六
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十七
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百五十八

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no Chinese medicine foundation?

It can be read, but requires patience. The language is rather classical; start with annotations and translations, grasp core ideas such as "avoiding pathogenic wind and guarding the spirit," and do not feel compelled to master every medical term.

Can the content be used directly to treat illness?

Using it directly to treat illness is not recommended. The book leans toward classical theory and health-cultivation concepts; for specific conditions, consult a professional physician. Treat it as a reference for understanding traditional disease-prevention thinking.

Does reading this book require other materials?

It is best read alongside relevant chapters of the Huangdi Neijing or a reliable annotated edition to help understand the original context. If interested in cold-damage theory, consult basic introductory Chinese medicine readers as well.

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About the author

Chen Menglei Author · China · 1651–1741

Chen Menglei (1651–1741), courtesy names Zizhen and Shengzhai, later styled the Old Man of Songhe, was a Qing dynasty scholar from Houguan, Fujian. He passed the imperial examination in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. After 1698, by imperial order, he tutored the third prince, Yinzhii, and took the opportunity to compile a vast classified encyclopedia, the Hui Bian, using the collection of the Xieyi Hall; the Kangxi Emperor later bestowed on it the title Gujin Tushu Jicheng. The library holds more than 410 of his works, mostly sections of the officialdom chapters of that encyclopedia, covering institutions such as the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Imperial Observatory, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, prefectural governors, the Transmission Office, and the Imperial Medical Academy. These works address ancient bureaucratic systems, ritual norms, and administrative practice. His compilations are distinguished by systematic classification and extensive citation, preserving a wealth of source materials for later generations; they are commonly categorized under culture and Eastern philosophy. As public information on his life is limited, this note confines itself to his known scholarly contributions.