Introduction to Medicine (Volume 2)

Name: Introduction to Medicine (Volume 2)
ISBN: 9787117345088

李梴 / 田代华Apr 2025

4.3

Word count: 406K words
Chapters: 21
ISBN: 9787117345088

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Summary

This book is one of the Must-Read Classics of Clinical Chinese Medicine series. The series has been a bestseller for over a decade, with cumulative sales in the millions, consistently ranking near the top of book charts. Each medical text is selected from an excellent source edition, providing readers with an accurate original text. This revision corrects errors in the original and updates the usage notes. The book is compiled based on the Yi Jing Xiao Xue (Elementary Study of the Medical Classics) as its blueprint, with reference to various schools of doctrine and classified compilation. It covers medical overviews, biographies of physicians, illustrated explanations of meridians and acupoints, meridians, zang-fu organs, diagnostic methods, acupuncture and moxibustion, materia medica, externally contracted diseases, internally damaged diseases, miscellaneous internal diseases, gynecological diseases, pediatric diseases, surgical diseases, medications for various specialties, and emergency formulas. The main text is in the form of songs and rhymed verses, supplemented with annotations for clarification. It is an influential introductory medical text. This edition is based on the initial woodblock edition of the third year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty (1575).

Editor's review

As the second volume of the Yixue Rumen (Introduction to Medicine), this volume continues the format of the first, covering internally damaged diseases, miscellaneous internal diseases, gynecological diseases, pediatric diseases, surgical diseases, medications for various specialties, and emergency formulas. It forms an important part of Li Chan's introductory medical work, which uses rhymed verses as the main text supplemented by annotations. This edition is based on the initial woodblock edition of the third year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty and corrects errors in the original, ensuring high reliability of the text. The rhymed verse format facilitates memorization, while the annotations help readers understand medical theory and formula indications, making the book suitable for classified study after mastering the fundamentals of Chinese medicine. The clinical content of the second volume is relatively concentrated, and readers may read it in conjunction with the foundational knowledge of meridians, zang-fu organs, diagnostic methods, and materia medica from the first volume to form a complete path from theory to clinical practice. For readers who need a systematic introductory framework of various specialties in Chinese medicine while retaining the recitative feel of the original text, this volume has high practical value; however, as a compiled edition of an ancient text, it still requires some foundation in Chinese medicine, and readers should consult authoritative textbooks or teachers to distinguish differences between ancient and modern disease names and formulas.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Medical students who have completed basic theories of Chinese medicine and wish to systematically study by specialty
Learners of Chinese medical classics who need verse-form source text to aid memorization
Practicing physicians who wish to consult Ming dynasty physicians' discussions of various specialties
Researchers of Chinese medical literature or history who need to verify the original woodblock text

Not a good fit for

General readers with no foundation in Chinese medicine seeking a plain-language popular introduction
Self-medicating readers expecting to look up formulas by modern disease names
Readers who only need quick reference to a single disease and do not wish to read through verse and annotations

Reading tips

Read the meridians, zang-fu organs, diagnostic methods, and materia medica sections in Volume One first, then proceed to the specialty diseases in Volume Two.
For each category of disease, first recite the verse to grasp the framework, then read the annotations carefully to understand formula patterns and modifications.
Keep a modern Chinese medicine textbook or dictionary on hand to compare ancient and modern disease and herb names.
Take notes by topic—women's diseases, pediatric diseases, external diseases—and summarize the medication characteristics of each specialty.

版权信息
卷之四
丹溪朱先生杂病纂要
杂病提纲
杂病分类
卷之五
妇人门
小儿门
外科
卷之六
杂病用药赋
卷之七
妇人小儿外科用药赋
拾遗
杂病妇人小儿外科总方
通用古方诗括
急救诸方
怪疾
治法
杂治赋
习医规格

FAQ

How are the contents of Volume Two and Volume One divided, and should they be read in order?

Volume One focuses on basic content such as medical overview, biographies of physicians, meridian and acupoint illustrations, meridians, zang-fu organs, diagnostic methods, acupuncture and moxibustion, materia medica, and externally contracted diseases. Volume Two concentrates on internal injuries, miscellaneous internal diseases, women's diseases, pediatric diseases, external diseases, medications for various specialties, and emergency formulas. It is recommended to read Volume One first to build a foundation, then Volume Two by specialty; reading in order makes it easier to understand the terminology and formula meanings in the verse.

The main text is in verse; can readers without a foundation understand the annotations?

The verse has a regular structure and is easy to memorize, but its wording is classical. Although the annotations provide supplementary explanation, they still involve many Chinese medical terms. Readers without a foundation may easily remain at the literal level. It is advisable to first master basic concepts of zang-fu organs, meridians, diagnostic methods, and commonly used materia medica, then read the verse and annotations, consulting modern textbooks for comparison when necessary.

What edition is this collation based on, and what has been revised?

According to the materials, this collation is based on the first woodblock edition of the third year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty, with errors in the original corrected and usage notes updated. It is meaningful for readers who wish to consult an earlier woodblock text, but the collated edition remains the original classical text; readers should note differences between ancient and modern characters, words, and disease names.

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About the author

李梴 Author

Li Chan was a physician of the Ming dynasty; public records of his life are limited, and his birth and death years, native place, and nationality are not clearly documented. Judging from his extant works, his writings concentrate on medical education and introductory clinical study. Three works are held in this collection: Medical Primer (Volume One), Medical Primer (Volume Two), and Yi Wulüzi's Thorough Guide to Medicine. The two-volume Medical Primer covers both basic theory and the various clinical specialties, and its language is deliberately plain and accessible, making it suitable for beginning students to read in sequence; it is one of the more widely circulated introductory works in traditional Chinese medicine. Yi Wulüzi's Thorough Guide to Medicine reflects his exposition and development of medical principles. Li Chan's writing style emphasizes clear organization and concise practicality, and he sought to present medical knowledge to readers in a systematic way. Because sources are limited, details of his life, teachers, and practice cannot be firmly established, yet these works have had a certain influence on the popularization and introductory teaching of traditional Chinese medicine and are often consulted by later students of medicine.

田代华 Author

Tian Daihua's biographical details are unavailable, and public information is limited. Judging from the six works held in the collection, his editorial and compilation work centers on classical Chinese medical texts and clinical literature. These include the historical formulary Shiyi Dexiao Fang, the pediatric specialty text Huoyou Xinshu, the surgical treatise Yangke Xinde Ji, a collector's edition of the Huangdi Neijing Suwen, and the two-volume Yixue Rumen. Most of these titles are canonical medical works, formularies, or introductory readers, and are classified under medicine. Tian Daihua's contribution consists mainly of textual collation, editing, and documentary compilation, serving the teaching, clinical reference, and general reading of traditional Chinese medicine and helping to preserve and transmit classical medical literature.