Introduction to Medicine

李榳着Qunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.2

Word count: 857K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

A Comprehensive Introduction to Medicine is the major work of Li Ting, a renowned physician of the Ming dynasty. Enormous in length and rich in content, it is a comprehensive medical compendium. Taking clinical practice as its main basis, the book sets out in detail the etiology, pathogenesis, patterns, treatment, and formulas for internal, external, gynecological, and pediatric disorders, and is highly practical, theoretical, and instructive.

Editor's review

Yi Xue Ru Men is a comprehensive medical compendium by the Ming dynasty physician Li Ting, based chiefly on clinical practice and covering the causes, pathogenesis, pattern differentiation and treatment, and formulas and medicines for internal, external, gynecological, and pediatric conditions. The book is extensive in scope and closely integrates theoretical exposition with clinical practice; it can serve both for systematically learning the foundations and clinical framework of Chinese medicine and for consulting treatment methods and formulas for specific conditions. Its value lies in its clinically practical orientation, organizing scattered medical knowledge into a relatively complete system and offering concrete help in understanding the pattern-differentiation thinking and prescribing logic of traditional medicine. It should be read as a reference book to be consulted over the long term: first grasp the overall structure, then read in detail by condition, using notes to sort out the thread of pattern differentiation and treatment, and avoid rushing. For readers hoping to train clinical thinking through traditional medical texts, this book provides relatively rich material.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Chinese medicine students needing a systematic understanding of the traditional clinical framework of pattern differentiation and treatment across specialties
Primary-level Chinese medicine practitioners wishing to consult treatment methods for common internal, external, gynecological, and pediatric conditions
Chinese medicine enthusiasts with some foundation who wish to read comprehensive medical texts in depth
Researchers in medical history and literature concerned with the compilation style of Ming dynasty comprehensive medical works

Not a good fit for

Readers with no foundation in Chinese medicine, for whom direct reading may prove difficult
Clinicians seeking only modern evidence-based medical diagnosis and treatment guidelines
General readers expecting light popular science and unwilling to engage with original terminology

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and general introduction to understand the book's division by specialty and the logic of its arrangement of pattern differentiation and treatment, then proceed to specific conditions.
Read by sections—internal, external, gynecological, and pediatric—and after each condition, sort out four threads: cause, pathogenesis, treatment method, and formulas and medicines.
Do not memorize formulas and medicines by rote; first understand the logic of their combination, then make comparative notes against clinical scenarios.
Cross-reference with modern Chinese medicine textbooks, marking similarities and differences, to avoid memorizing entries in isolation.

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
卷首
内集·卷一\经络
内集·卷二
外集·卷三
外集·卷四
外集·卷五\妇人门
外集·卷六
外集·卷七

FAQ

Can someone with no foundation in Chinese medicine read Yi Xue Ru Men directly?

It is not really advisable. This is a comprehensive clinical medical book involving a great deal of terminology on causes, pathogenesis, patterns, and formulas and medicines; without a foundation, one may see only entries without understanding their meaning. If one still wishes to try, begin with textbooks on the basic theories of Chinese medicine, then use the table of contents to start with more familiar conditions and gradually adapt to its mode of expression.

Is this book suitable for reading straight through from beginning to end?

Reading it straight through is not necessary. The book is large and divided among many specialties, so it is better to grasp the overall structure first and then read selectively by condition or specialty. If time is limited, one may prioritize the general introductions and common pattern differentiation and treatment of the specialties one is concerned with, and use the rest as reference material to consult as needed.

Can the formulas and medicines in the book be used directly as prescriptions?

Direct copying is not advised. The formulas and medicines in traditional medical texts must be used in light of the specific condition, constitution, and pattern differentiation results, and there are differences between ancient and modern prescribing habits, dosages, and processing methods. When reading, focus on understanding the pattern-differentiation thinking and the logic of combination; actual medication must be decided by a qualified Chinese medicine practitioner after diagnosis.

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About the author

李榳着 Author

Li Tingzhuo: the attribution identifies an author whose life is very poorly documented in publicly available sources. Neither the dates of birth and death, nor the place of origin or nationality, are clearly recorded. What can be confirmed is that a single medical work, Yixue Rumen (An Introduction to Medicine), is transmitted under this name. Judging from its title and its classification under medicine, the book belongs to the introductory literature of traditional Chinese medicine, likely covering basic theory, diagnostic methods, materia medica and formulas for readers new to medical study or seeking a systematic point of entry. Such primers typically served to guide reading and organize a framework of knowledge, and were often written in plain, orderly prose suited to step-by-step learning. Because biographical material is lacking, Li Tingzhuo's medical training and the circumstances of composition cannot be reconstructed today; only the surviving work allows us to infer familiarity with medical literature and clinical common knowledge. For general readers the book can serve as an introduction to the traditional medical system, while for researchers the absence of author information indicates that questions of edition and date still require further investigation.