Medical Talks from the Cold Hut

陆以湉Qunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.1

Word count: 102K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Written by Lu Yitian, a physician of the late Qing dynasty, and completed in 1858, the book consists of five volumes. Volumes One and Two discuss medical ethics, the preservation of life and the cautious use of medicines, diagnostic methods and the use of drugs, as well as ancient and modern physicians and medical works worthy of emulation. Volumes Three to Five gather the therapeutic case records of famous physicians of successive ages for various diseases and syndromes, with the author's own opinions occasionally appended to elucidate and develop them, tracing their origins and setting out their merits and demerits in detail, with most of his remarks hitting the mark. Its supplementary volume was compiled by Cao Bingzhang in the Republican period, who selected and entered the medically relevant passages from the author's Lenglu Zashi and appended them at the end of the book, making the work more substantial.

Editor's review

Lenglu Yihua (Cold Cottage Medical Talks) is a medical talks (yihua) work completed in 1858 by the late Qing physician Lu Yitian. It consists of five juan in a clear structure: the first two juan focus on principled matters such as medical ethics, preserving life and being cautious with medicines, and diagnostic methods and drug use, and comment on physicians and medical books ancient and modern, showing a distinct concern for medical ethics and scholarly history; the last three juan collect effective case records of famous physicians of successive dynasties for various diseases and syndromes, with the author's own views interspersed, tracing causes and detailing pros and cons, with comments mostly pertinent and practical. A supplementary juan was compiled by Cao Bingzhang in the Republican period, who selected medically relevant content from Lu's Lenglu Zashi and appended it, making the book more complete. The value of this book lies not in being a systematic formulary but in presenting clinical insights and medical-world anecdotes in the form of random jottings and medical talks, allowing readers to glimpse the diagnostic and therapeutic thinking of late Qing physicians and to sense traditional views on medical ethics. It is suitable as a desk reference for TCM clinicians, as material for researchers in medical history and literature, and as an introductory read for general readers interested in traditional medical culture. When reading, it is advisable to combine it with basic TCM theory and to note the distinction between the original text and the supplementary sources.

Who it's for

A good fit for

TCM clinicians who wish to draw on the diagnostic and therapeutic thinking and case experience of late Qing physicians
Researchers in TCM medical history and literature who need primary sources of late Qing medical talks
General readers fond of traditional medical culture who want to understand views on medical ethics and preserving life
Students at TCM colleges and universities, as extracurricular reading to deepen understanding of the medical talks genre

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic formulas and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols
Readers with no foundation in classical Chinese who want an easy introduction
Readers expecting modern evidence-based medical evidence and clinical guidelines

Reading tips

Read juan 1 and juan 2 first to grasp the author's overall views on medical ethics, diagnosis, and drug use, then move on to the case records.
When reading the case records in juan 3 to juan 5, take brief notes against basic TCM theory, recording key points of disease patterns and treatments.
Pay attention to the difference in source between the supplement and the main text, distinguishing Lu Yitian's original writing from Cao Bingzhang's selections.
Read alongside relevant entries in Lenglu Zashi to understand the context of the author's views on medical matters.

About the publisher

Qunyan Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

Founded in 1989, Qunyan Publishing House has long been committed to publishing academic and educational books for mid- and high-level readers, and has built up a certain presence in Eastern philosophy, classical literature, and classic works. Representative titles available in the database include Records of the Grand Historian, Dream of the Red Chamber, Selections of Refined Literature, Complete Song Ci, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Record of Daily Knowledge, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang, and The Collected Works of Wang Yangming, covering common categories such as ancient poetry, medicine, and examinations. Its author resources include Sima Qian, Cao Xueqin, Xiao Tong, Li Shan, Pu Songling, and Gu Yanwu. The press also offers distinctive series such as the Biographical Series of the China Democratic League and the Historical Documents Series of the China Democratic League, and publishes research on historical documents, biographies, memoirs, and textbooks and academic works by League members. Public information is limited, and its overall publishing scale and complete catalogue require further verification.

版权信息
序
卷一
卷二
卷三
卷四
卷五
补编
补编\医范
补编\选案
补编\录方
补编\宜忌
补编\博物

FAQ

Is Lenglu Yihua a formulary?

No. It is a work in the medical talks genre, focusing on discussions of medical ethics, preserving life and being cautious with medicines, and diagnosis and drug use, as well as commentary on effective case records of successive dynasties. It is not a formulary that lists formulas systematically by disease and syndrome, and is better read as clinical insights and medical-historical material.

Was the supplement written by Lu Yitian himself?

The supplement was not written by Lu Yitian specifically for this book. It was selected by Cao Bingzhang in the Republican period from Lu's other work, Lenglu Zashi, drawing on content related to medical matters and appending it to the end of the book to enrich the whole. Readers should note its source.

Can someone without a TCM foundation understand this book?

Partly, but there is a certain threshold. The book involves diagnostic methods, drug use, and case-record terminology; without a TCM foundation, understanding will be reduced. It is advisable first to learn basic TCM concepts, or to start with the discussions on medical ethics and preserving life in juan 1 and juan 2.

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About the author

陆以湉 Author

Lu Yitian was a Qing-dynasty man of letters and physician. Public information about his life is limited, and his dates of birth and death and native place remain unknown. Two works survive under his name: Leng Lu Yi Hua and Leng Lu Za Shi, both titled after the "Leng Lu" study, suggesting that his writings were largely produced in his studio. The former belongs to the genre of medical talks, recording medical principles, diagnostic methods, and clinical observations alongside anecdotes about physicians, in plain and clearly organized prose. The latter is a collection of notes and miscellany, covering things seen and heard as well as reading notes, with comments on human affairs and scholarship. Judging from his surviving works, his writing spans medicine and Eastern philosophy, combining a physician's empirical eye with a scholar's taste for textual inquiry. His language is concise and given to recording and analysis rather than empty discussion, offering some reference value for understanding Qing-dynasty medical talks and note writing.