Classified Syndromes of the Inner Canon

秦伯未Sep 2026

4.5

Word count: 26K words
Chapters: 53

Summary

Classified Conditions of the Inner Canon arranges the original passages on diseases in the Inner Canon by condition. The editor selected disease-discussing texts from the Suwen and Lingshu, sorting them into 50 diseases and 357 patterns, totaling 1,268 entries. Coverage begins with cold damage, warm summerheat and heat disease, then wind stroke, cold-heat, malaria, cholera, counterflow, jaundice, wasting-thirst, cough, phlegm-fluid, panting, diaphragm disease, flaccidity, impediment, hemiplegia, convulsions, tetany, mania, and accumulations. Each disease first gives a general discussion summarizing cause, mechanism, transmission and prognosis; below, patterns are attached to original passages, such as the six meridians of cold damage, the five organs' and six bowels' coughs, the five organs' malaria, the five-body impediment and five flaccidities, and cold counterflow, heat counterflow,煎厥 and薄厥, detailing symptoms, pulses, needling and moxa points, and unfavorable signs and death forecasts. The editor adds no commentary, only grouping like with like, so that looking up by disease yields the Inner Canon's full picture of that disease.

Editor's review

This is Qin Bowei's systematic classification of the Inner Canon's disease passages, gathering scattered disease content from the Suwen and Lingshu by condition into 50 diseases and 357 patterns, totaling 1,268 entries. Its value lies not in commentary but in the “grouping like with like” arrangement: each disease first gives a general discussion of cause, mechanism, transmission and prognosis; below, patterns are attached to original passages—the six meridians of cold damage, the five organs' and six bowels' coughs, the five organs' malaria, the five-body impediment and five flaccidities, cold counterflow, heat counterflow,煎厥 and薄厥—with symptoms, pulses, needling and moxa points, and unfavorable signs and death forecasts all presented. Looking up by disease reveals the Inner Canon's full picture of that condition, sparing readers the labor of searching the original and classifying themselves. It suits as an auxiliary reference for studying the Inner Canon and for clinicians seeking passages by disease to verify theory. Read it alongside the original chapters: grasp the whole through the general discussion first, then examine passages pattern by pattern to appreciate the editor's classification.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Chinese medicine students and self-learners systematically studying the Inner Canon's original text
Practitioners needing to retrieve the Inner Canon's discussions by disease in clinical work
Researchers in basic theory and textual organization of Chinese medicine
Readers who have read selections of the Inner Canon and wish to understand it by disease category

Not a good fit for

Ordinary readers with no Chinese medicine background encountering the Inner Canon for the first time
Beginners seeking vernacular annotation and line-by-line explanation
Readers expecting modern clinical treatment plans and prescribing guidance

Reading tips

Read each disease's general discussion first to grasp cause, mechanism, transmission and prognosis, then the attached passages.
Keep the Suwen and Lingshu at hand; when a source is unclear, check the original chapter.
Read selectively by conditions of interest, such as cough, impediment or flaccidity; full reading is not required.
Mark symptoms, pulses, needling and moxa, and death signs as you read, forming your own disease-indexed notes.

版权信息
谭序
自序
伤寒病证类
温暑病证类
热病病证类
中风病证类
寒热病证类
痎疟病证类
霍乱病证类
厥逆病证类
疸病病证类
消渴病证类
咳嗽病证类
痰饮病证类
喘促病证类
膈病病证类
痿病病证类
痹病病证类
偏枯病证类
瘈疭病证类
痉病病证类
癫狂病证类
积聚病证类
痞满病证类
疝气病证类
鼓胀病证类
水肿病证类
腹痛病证类
腰痛病证类
胁痛病证类
背痛病证类
心痛病证类
头痛病证类
口舌病证类
齿牙病证类
咽喉病证类
眼目病证类
耳病病证类
鼻病病证类
眩晕病证类
汗病病证类
寤寐病证类
呕吐病证类
哕逆病证类
泄泻病证类
肠澼病证类
便血病证类
便难病证类
前阴病证类
小便病证类
遗泄病证类
痈疽病证类

FAQ

How does this book differ from ordinary annotated editions of the Inner Canon?

It does not annotate line by line; instead it arranges the Inner Canon's disease passages by condition, each disease first giving a general discussion with patterns attached below. Readers can find relevant discussions directly by disease name and see the condition's overall picture in the Inner Canon, rather than reading chapter by chapter and piecing it together themselves.

Can readers without Chinese medicine basics understand it?

The text is classical Chinese from the Inner Canon, with no commentary, only classification, so the threshold is high. Without basics, understanding symptoms, pulses, needling and moxa will be difficult; first read annotated selections or basic theory textbooks, then use this book.

What is the range of conditions covered?

According to the source, the book sorts into 50 diseases and 357 patterns, totaling 1,268 entries, beginning with cold damage, warm summerheat and heat disease, then wind stroke, cold-heat, malaria, cholera, counterflow, jaundice, wasting-thirst, cough, phlegm-fluid, panting, diaphragm disease, flaccidity, impediment, hemiplegia, convulsions, tetany, mania and accumulations, covering a broad range.

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About the author

秦伯未 Author

Qin Bowei is an author active in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, though details of his life—such as his native place, dates of birth and death, and medical training—are not clearly recorded in publicly available sources, and public information is limited. Judging from the 58 works collected here, his writing centers on the fundamentals of traditional Chinese medicine and the organization and annotation of clinical medical texts, covering introductory guides, annotations of classics, and compilations of medical talks. Representative works include Zhongyi Rumen (Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine), which concisely outlines basic concepts and diagnostic approaches for beginners; Neijing Leizheng and Jinkui Yaolue Jianshi, which reflect his careful organization of classical texts by syndrome and item-by-item explanation; and the collected medical talks of Xu Lingtai, Yu Jiayan, and Zhang Shiwan, which show his attention to and desire to transmit the clinical insights of physicians across dynasties. Overall, Qin Bowei's writings are practical and accessible, emphasizing readability and usefulness, and have had a lasting influence on the popularization of traditional Chinese medicine and the organization of classical literature.