Section on the Throat

Chen MengleiJun 2024

2.5

Word count: 49K words
Chapters: 34

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms have distinctive features: religious theology, classical Chinese medicine texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers, among other fields, are all profound and extensive. This "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with emphasis on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate character and subtly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Yanhou Men (The Throat Gate) is included in the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series and presents traditional documents in a form that preserves the original books' appearance. Its value lies not in popular rewriting but in giving readers direct contact with the original texture of ancient texts. The title points to the specific category of the throat, and the content unfolds within the context of classical Chinese medicine texts and traditional culture, making it suitable as an entry point for understanding traditional medical classification and the format of old books. Readers can sense the distinctive ways people in ancient times understood the body, categorized illnesses, and expressed themselves in writing, which helps in understanding the originality of traditional intellectual forms. This book is better suited to slow reading and reference than to reading straight through; pairing it with basic readings on Chinese medicine or reference works can reduce obstacles from terminology. As a reader for transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture, it emphasizes preservation and inheritance, and is suitable for keeping on the family bookshelf for consultation at any time, as well as for use as source material in Chinese studies learning settings. Note that preserving the original appearance means the language and arrangement retain their old form, so readers should approach with patience and a readiness to look things up.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in classical Chinese medicine texts and traditional cultural source texts
Students who need source materials to support Chinese studies coursework
Collectors who prefer preserved original forms and slow, reference-style reading
Readers who want to understand ancient bodily concepts and illness classification

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for modern vernacular rewrites or popular story versions
Medical practitioners seeking systematic clinical guidance
People used to fast-paced reading who are unwilling to verify terminology

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and notes on format to understand the book's classification logic before entering the main text
Prepare a reference work on classical Chinese or Chinese medicine terminology for consultation while reading
Read only a small section at a time and restate the key points in your own words afterward
Read alongside similar Chinese studies source texts to appreciate textual differences

版权信息
黄帝素问
灵枢经
金匮要略【汉．张机】
脉诀【晋王叔和】
千金方【唐孙思邈】
疮疡全书【金窦汉卿】
活人书【宋朱肱】
仁斋直指方【宋杨士瀛】
济生方【宋严用和】
河间六书【金刘完素】
明理论【宋成无己】
儒门事亲【元张从政】
丹溪心法【元朱震亨】
世医得效方【元危亦林】
医学正传【明虞抟】
证治要诀【明戴思恭】
医学纲目【明楼英】
医学入门【明李梴】
奇效良方【明方贤】
医学准绳六要【明张三锡】
薛氏医案【明薛己】
古今医鉴【明龚信】
证治准绳【明王肯堂】
医贯【明赵献可】
医方考【明吴昆】
外科正宗【明陈实功】
景岳全书【明张介宾】
石室秘箓【清陈士铎】
方
单方
针灸
导引
医案

FAQ

Is this book explained in vernacular Chinese or is it an original classical text?

Judging from the series positioning, this book emphasizes preserving the original appearance of the book and presents traditional documents rather than modern vernacular explanation. Readers will encounter classical Chinese expressions and old arrangements, so it is advisable to use reference works or annotated materials for support and to treat it as an entry point to the source text rather than a popular reader.

Can I read this book without a foundation in Chinese medicine?

You can read it, but you need to adjust expectations. The book involves traditional medical classification and terminology, and readers with no background need not aim to understand it all at once; they can start with the table of contents and categories of interest, consulting basic readings as they go. It is more appropriate to approach it as a cultural source text than as a practical medical manual.

Is it suitable as a gift for a friend who likes Chinese studies?

If the person enjoys collecting source texts and is willing to read slowly and consult references, this book fits the positioning of the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series and can serve as a gift. But if the person prefers easy, accessible introductions to Chinese studies, they may find the language and format distant, so it is best to first understand their reading habits.

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About the author

Chen Menglei Author · China · 1651–1741

Chen Menglei (1651–1741), courtesy names Zizhen and Shengzhai, later styled the Old Man of Songhe, was a Qing dynasty scholar from Houguan, Fujian. He passed the imperial examination in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. After 1698, by imperial order, he tutored the third prince, Yinzhii, and took the opportunity to compile a vast classified encyclopedia, the Hui Bian, using the collection of the Xieyi Hall; the Kangxi Emperor later bestowed on it the title Gujin Tushu Jicheng. The library holds more than 410 of his works, mostly sections of the officialdom chapters of that encyclopedia, covering institutions such as the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Imperial Observatory, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, prefectural governors, the Transmission Office, and the Imperial Medical Academy. These works address ancient bureaucratic systems, ritual norms, and administrative practice. His compilations are distinguished by systematic classification and extensive citation, preserving a wealth of source materials for later generations; they are commonly categorized under culture and Eastern philosophy. As public information on his life is limited, this note confines itself to his known scholarly contributions.