Orchid

AnonymousNanhai Publication Company · ChinaApr 2020

3.0

Word count: 2.6K words
Chapters: 49

Summary

This book comprises eight volumes in total, of which the six volumes of Linglan Society Drafts discuss internal medicine miscellaneous patterns in detail, divided into six sections—wind, consumptive exhaustion, pain, cold and summerheat, urination and defecation, and various qi—covering the causes, mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of 102 diseases. The author's discussion of these patterns may indeed be said to grasp the essentials and conclude in a single phrase, reflecting his understanding of them: investigating the ancients above and testing against the present below, bringing forth new insights of his own. Appended are two volumes of the Rhymed Materia Medica from the Brocade Satchel, which discuss in verse the medicinals involved in the miscellaneous diseases section. It is a specialized work on internal medicine miscellaneous patterns.

Editor's review

This book is a specialized work on miscellaneous internal diseases. Its main body, the six juan of Linglan Shegao, is organized into six sections—wind, consumptive exhaustion, pain, cold-heat, stool and urine, and the various qi—and discusses the causes, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of 102 diseases; appended are two juan of Jinnang Yaoxing Fu, which present the drugs involved in the miscellaneous-disease section in verse form. Its value lies in clear classification and concise discussion. The author states that he examined the ancients above and tested against the present below, seeking to offer personal insights on the basis of gathered earlier experience, embodying the compositional aim that "one who knows the essentials finishes in a single phrase." For readers studying the dialectical approach of traditional Chinese internal medicine, this book can serve as a reference for understanding the traditional classification framework of miscellaneous diseases and the logic of treatment; the verse section facilitates memorization of drugs. Note that this is a collated ancient text with archaic wording, and its formulas, dosages, and indications bear the marks of their era; modern readers should read it alongside standard TCM textbooks and clinical norms and should not apply the formulas directly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

TCM college students studying internal medicine of traditional Chinese medicine who wish to understand the traditional classification framework of miscellaneous diseases
Researchers interested in the collation of ancient TCM texts and internal medicine literature
Clinicians with some TCM foundation who want to broaden their approach to pattern identification and treatment
Traditional medicine enthusiasts who like memorizing Chinese materia medica knowledge through mnemonic verses

Not a good fit for

Ordinary readers with no TCM foundation who want to teach themselves methods of treating illness
Readers expecting guidance from modern evidence-based medicine or clinical-guideline-style content
General leisure readers hoping for light popular-science or health-preservation stories

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and the general introduction to each category to build an overall framework of the six categories, then select familiar diseases and patterns for close reading.
When reading the entries on diseases and patterns, keep a modern TCM internal medicine textbook at hand and note similarities and differences in the statements of etiology and pathogenesis.
Copy out or read aloud the verses of the Jinnang Yaoxing Fu, and check the effects of the drugs mentioned in the verses against a materia medica textbook.
Take notes wherever you have doubts about formula dosages and indications, consult a professional physician or check an annotated edition, and do not try the formulas on your own.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
【檄】李峤
【纸】李峤
【笔】李峤
【砚】李峤
【墨】李峤
【剑】李峤
【刀】李峤
【箭】李峤
【弹】李峤
【弩】李峤
【旗】李峤
【旌】李峤
【戈】李峤
【鼓】李峤
【弓】李峤
【琴】李峤
【瑟】李峤
【琵琶】李峤
【筝】李峤
【钟（一作宋之问诗）】李峤
【箫】李峤
【笛（一作宋之问诗）】李峤
【笙】李峤
【歌】李峤
【舞】李峤
卷六十
【珠】李峤
【玉】李峤
【金】李峤
【银】李峤
【钱】李峤
【锦】李峤
【罗】李峤
【绫】李峤
【素】李峤
【布】李峤
【舟】李峤
【车】李峤
【床】李峤
【席】李峤
【帷】李峤
【帘】李峤
【屏】李峤
【被】李峤
【鉴】李峤
【扇】李峤
【烛】李峤
【酒】李峤

FAQ

Is this book suitable for beginners in TCM to study on their own?

It is not very suitable for self-study from zero foundation. The book follows the format of ancient texts, with concise and archaic language, and its discussions of diseases and patterns and its formulas bear the marks of their era, lacking the systematic groundwork of modern textbooks. Beginners should first study basic TCM theory and diagnostics, then read the relevant categories of this book under the guidance of a teacher or physician; otherwise they may easily misunderstand the original text or misuse the formulas.

What is the relationship between Linglan Shegao and Jinnang Yaoxing Fu?

According to the material in this book, the six volumes of Linglan Shegao are the main part, discussing the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of miscellaneous internal diseases according to six categories; the two volumes of Jinnang Yaoxing Fu are an appendix, discussing in verse form the drugs involved in the miscellaneous disease section. One discusses diseases and the other drugs; read together, they can help readers connect diseases and patterns with medication.

Can the formulas in the book be used directly?

Direct use is not recommended. The dosages, processing, and indications stated in ancient formulas have their historical context, and TCM emphasizes treatment based on pattern identification, so the same disease name may require different treatments in different people. Readers should use this book as a reference for understanding traditional approaches to treatment; actual medication must be diagnosed and prescribed by a qualified TCM physician, and one should never fill and take prescriptions oneself.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.