Classified Compendium on Health Preservation

Name: Classified Compendium on Health Preservation
ISBN: 9787513236676

周守忠China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine · ChinaOct 2018

3.9

Word count: 110K words
Chapters: 26
ISBN: 9787513236676

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Summary

Yang Sheng Lei Zuan (Classified Compendium of Nourishing Life) runs to 22 juan and is also known as Za Zuan Zhu Jia Yang Sheng Zhi Bao, Yang Sheng Yan Shou Shu, and Yang Sheng Za Zuan. Compiled by Zhou Shouzhong of the Song dynasty, it was completed in 1220, the 13th year of the Jiading era of the Southern Song. The book systematically sorts, summarizes, and classifies the nourishing-life thought, theory, techniques, and methods found in more than 220 ancient texts predating the Southern Song, arranging them under such sections as general remarks on nourishing life, astronomy, geography, human affairs, dwellings, clothing, food and drink, feathered birds, furred beasts, scaly and shelled creatures, grains, fruits, vegetables, plants and trees, and ingested remedies. The material is rich, detailed and concise in due proportion, and clearly organized; specific methods including daoyin, seasonal regimen, daily living, dietary therapy, and medication are all covered, making the book practical. Appended is the author's other work on nourishing life, Yang Sheng Yue Lan, in 2 juan, allowing readers to look up methods by month. This book represents the culmination of nourishing-life achievements before the Southern Song; this edition is based on the 1474 (10th year of the Chenghua era) Qiantang Xie Jiong woodblock edition. It is suitable for researchers, teachers, and clinicians in traditional Chinese medicine, enthusiasts of TCM nourishing life, and students and faculty at TCM colleges and universities.

Editor's review

Compiled by Zhou Shouzhong of the Southern Song dynasty, Yangsheng Leizuan is an anthology of health-preservation writings that organizes the ideas, theories, and methods found in more than 220 pre-Southern Song works into categories. Its twenty-two juan cover general principles, astronomy, geography, human affairs, dwellings, clothing, food, poultry, beasts, fish and shellfish, grains, fruits, vegetables, plants, and ingested remedies, with a clear structure and a judicious balance of detail and brevity. Specific methods such as daoyin, seasonal adjustment, daily living, dietary therapy, and medication are all included, giving the book both documentary and practical value. Two appended juan, Yangsheng Yuelan, allow readers to look up seasonal health-preservation points month by month for easy daily reference. This edition is based on the 1474 Qiantang Xie Jiong imprint, a clearly identified textual source. For readers who want to understand the origins of the traditional health-preservation knowledge system or who work on Chinese medical texts and clinical health preservation, this book serves as a desk reference and a source collection for thematic study; general readers may also read selectively by category, such as dietary therapy or daily living.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers engaged in the compilation and teaching of Chinese health-preservation texts
Teachers and students at Chinese medical colleges using it as reference material on health preservation
Clinicians consulting traditional dietary and daily-living health methods
Traditional culture enthusiasts interested in pre-Southern Song health-preservation sources

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking quick modern health conclusions
Readers without classical Chinese proficiency who are unwilling to consult annotations
Clinical patients seeking systematic disease diagnosis and treatment plans

Reading tips

Read the general introduction and table of contents first to understand the twenty-two-juan framework, then read selectively by category.
Make thematic excerpts from practical categories such as dietary therapy, daily living, and daoyin for daily reference.
Read alongside the appended Yangsheng Yuelan month by month to appreciate the seasonal arrangement.
Take notes on textual and citation issues against the source description for thematic research.

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
校注说明
重刊《养生延寿》诸书引
卷第一养生部一
卷第二养生部二
卷第三养生部三
卷第四天文部
卷第五地理部
卷第六人事部一
卷第七人事部二
卷第八人事部三
卷第九人事部四
卷第十人事部五
卷第十一屋寓部
卷第十二服章部
卷第十三食馔部一
卷第十四食馔部二
卷第十五羽禽部
卷第十六毛兽部
卷第十七鳞介部
卷第十八米谷部
卷第十九果实部
卷第二十菜蔬部
卷第二十一草木部
卷第二十二服饵部一
附养生月览

FAQ

Is this an original work on health preservation or an anthology?

It is Zhou Shouzhong's classified compilation of health-preservation material from more than 220 pre-Southern Song works. It is an anthology, so readers encounter health views from a wide range of earlier texts rather than a single author's original argument.

What is the use of the appended Yangsheng Yuelan?

The two juan of Yangsheng Yuelan arrange health-preservation methods by month, so readers can look up content for the current season. It complements the main text's classified arrangement and works well as an index-like resource for daily reference.

Can readers without a Chinese medicine background understand this book?

The book contains many classical citations and Chinese medical terms, so the threshold is fairly high for readers without a foundation. It is advisable to start with more accessible categories such as food and daily living and to consult annotations or reference works for terminology rather than reading straight through.

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About the author

周守忠 Author

Publicly available information about Zhou Shouzhong is limited, and neither his dates of birth and death nor his native place has been clearly recorded. Two works can currently be confirmed, Yangsheng Leizuan (Classified Compendium of Health Preservation) and Zhongyi Mengqiu (A Primer of Traditional Chinese Medicine), which are usually classified under medicine and culture. Judging from these extant works, his writing covers two directions: health preservation and elementary medical education. Yangsheng Leizuan deals with daily regimen and health-preserving knowledge and has the character of collecting and organizing relevant earlier material, while Zhongyi Mengqiu adopts the mengqiu primer style, arranging basic traditional Chinese medicine knowledge into neatly rhymed lines for beginners to memorize. The two books thus serve both general readers seeking health-preserving ideas and novice students of medicine in need of a recitable primer, showing an emphasis on practicality and popularization. Because biographical details are lacking, his family background, teachers, and medical practice cannot be verified; only through the subject matter and format of his works can we gain a general sense of his efforts in spreading traditional medical knowledge.