Concise Meanings of Medical Formulas

王清源Qunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.2

Word count: 50K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Compiled by Wang Qingyuan from various medical treatises and formularies together with his own clinical experience, Medical Formulas in Brief is organized with volume one on the four diagnostic methods and the channels, and volumes two through six on the diagnosis and treatment of seasonal diseases, miscellaneous diseases, and gynecological and obstetric conditions, setting out causes, symptoms, and treatments in fairly detailed and comprehensive fashion.

Editor's review

This book was compiled by Wang Qingyuan from various medical treatises and formularies, integrated with his clinical experience. Structurally, it first establishes the four diagnostic methods and the channels, then divides into the diagnosis and treatment of seasonal diseases, miscellaneous diseases, and gynecological and obstetric conditions, unfolding causes, symptoms, and treatments layer by layer with considerable detail and comprehensiveness. Its value lies in threading the foundations of diagnosis together with the diagnosis and treatment of each specialty into a single line, so that readers can see the complete path from pulse examination and pattern differentiation to formula selection and medication, rather than a scattered compilation of formula rhymes. The book's attention to gynecological and obstetric conditions also provides concrete material for understanding how traditional medicine divided specialties for treatment. The 2024 edition published by Qunyan Press is suitable as a reference reader for clinical thinking in Chinese medicine. When reading, one should first grasp the general outline of the four diagnostic methods and the channels, then proceed in the order of seasonal diseases, miscellaneous diseases, and gynecological and obstetric conditions; at points involving formulas and patterns, ask "why this treatment for this pattern" rather than simply copying formulas, for that is how one better appreciates its "brief meanings."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Chinese medicine learners who already have basic theoretical grounding and wish to systematically organize a framework of pattern diagnosis and treatment
Primary-level clinical Chinese medicine practitioners using it as a reference for diagnostic and treatment thinking in seasonal diseases, miscellaneous diseases, and gynecology and obstetrics
Chinese medicine enthusiasts interested in the relationship between traditional gynecological treatment and the four diagnostic methods and channels
Researchers in Chinese medical literature or medical history concerned with the compilation style of modern physicians who gathered various formula discourses

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners hoping for item-by-item explanation in modern vernacular
Readers seeking only a quick-reference guide matching a single disease name to a fixed prescription
Readers expecting modern pharmacological experiments or evidence-based data
Readers unwilling to read classical medical discourse and accepting only illustrated popular science

Reading tips

Begin with the section on the four diagnostic methods and the channels in volume one to establish a coordinate system for pattern differentiation before entering the treatment sections for each specialty, avoiding jumping straight to formulas and medicinals.
Read in blocks by seasonal diseases, miscellaneous diseases, and gynecology and obstetrics; after each block, use a table to organize the correspondences among causes, symptoms, treatments, and formulas and medicinals.
For gynecological and obstetric conditions, one may keep comparative notes alongside modern gynecological common knowledge, but take care to distinguish traditional terms from today's diagnostic criteria.
Slow down at points of "brief meaning" and try to verify them with examples from one's own clinical or life observations; there is no need to finish the book in one sitting.

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\附外台秘要三方
卷五
卷六

FAQ

Does "brief meanings" in the book's title mean the content is sketchy?

"Brief meanings" is closer to the sense of gathering the essentials and clarifying the meaning; it does not mean the content is thin. Judging from the table of contents, it first discusses the four diagnostic methods and the channels, then divides into the diagnosis and treatment of seasonal diseases, miscellaneous diseases, and gynecological and obstetric conditions, with causes, symptoms, and treatments all developed. Readers should understand it as a selective outline of pattern diagnosis and treatment, not an abridged edition or a quick-reference manual.

Can someone without clinical experience read this book?

Yes, but a certain foundation in Chinese medicine is needed. The book involves pulse patterns, causes, and treatments; if one is wholly unfamiliar with the four diagnostic methods and formula terminology, comprehension will be difficult. It is advisable first to supplement basic theory and diagnostic common knowledge in Chinese medicine, then use it as material for organizing a framework rather than directly practicing according to its formulas.

What is the reading value of the gynecological and obstetric content for general readers?

It shows how traditional medicine diagnosed and treated gynecological and obstetric diseases by specialty, from causes and symptoms to treatment, which helps in understanding the knowledge structure and terminological sources of Chinese gynecology. General readers may treat it as reading on medical history and diagnostic-treatment thinking; they should not use it to judge their own conditions or take medication, and specific health problems still require consultation with a professional physician.

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About the author

王清源 Author

Wang Qingyuan: currently only limited public information is available about this author, and it is difficult to give a detailed account of his native place, dates of birth and death, or medical career. The only work of his held in the collection is Yifang Jianyi (Concise Principles of Medical Formulas), classified under medicine. Judging from the title and category, the book appears to be a work on prescriptions that records medical formulas in a concise manner and explains their principles, serving practical clinical use and reflecting the traditional Chinese medical approach of matching formulas to patterns. Such concise formula books are easy to consult and memorize and have practical value for the popularization and transmission of Chinese medical literature. Because other writings and biographical clues about the author are lacking, his scholarly background and sphere of influence remain to be further investigated; readers studying Yifang Jianyi should examine specific editions and the original text rather than inferring his entire medical position from the title alone.