Zhang's Comprehensive Medicine

Zhang LuJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJul 2024

4.4

Word count: 635K words
Chapters: 18

Summary

Zhang's Medical Compendium (Zhang shi yi tong) is a comprehensive medical work in sixteen juan, compiled by Zhang Lu of the Qing dynasty in the thirty-fourth year of the Kangxi reign (1695). The first twelve juan discuss diseases, covering internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, and the five sensory organs. Each category is divided by disease and pattern, citing ancient literature and the medical theories of successive dynasties. For each disease, the relevant discussions from the Inner Canon and the Essentials of the Golden Cabinet are presented first, followed by the doctrines of later authorities such as Sun Simiao, Li Dongyuan, Zhu Danxi, Zhao Xianke, Xue Ji, Zhang Jiebin, Miao Zhongchun, and Yu Jiayan, combined with the author's own clinical experience. His medical thought is close to that of Xue Ji and Zhang Jiebin, and he vigorously expounds the theory that "yang is not in excess and true yin is insufficient." The last four juan discuss formulas. One juan on ancestral formulas traces the origins of formulas and analyzes their composition, functions, and indicated patterns; the other three juan contain specialized formulas arranged by disease and pattern, with explanations. The overall format follows Wang Kentang's Standards of Diagnosis and Treatment but is more carefully selected and edited. It is a clinically oriented reference that reconciles the various schools and is clearly organized. For readers who wish to understand systematically how the medical doctrines of various schools before the early Qing were integrated into clinical practice, this book provides a relatively complete framework correlating diseases, patterns, and formulas, and is suitable as a desk reference and a base text for thematic study.

Editor's review

Zhang's Medical Compendium (Zhangshi Yitong) is a comprehensive medical work by the early Qing physician Zhang Lu, written in the thirty-fourth year of Kangxi (1695), in sixteen volumes. The first twelve volumes discuss diseases, covering internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, and the five sense organs, divided by section and pattern. For each disease, it first cites discussions from the Inner Canon and Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, then quotes various schools including Sun Simiao, Li Dongyuan, Zhu Danxi, Zhao Xianke, Xue Ji, Zhang Jiebin, Miao Zhongchun, and Yu Jiayan, and combines them with his own clinical experience. His medical thinking is close to that of Xue Ji and Zhang Jiebin, and he strongly expounds the theory that 'yang is not in excess, and true yin is insufficient.' The last four volumes discuss formulas: one volume on ancestral formulas specifically discusses formula origins and composition functions, and the other three volumes contain specialized formulas, collected by disease pattern with formula explanations. The overall format follows Wang Kentang's Standards for Diagnosis and Treatment but with more refined selection, making it a clinically referenced book that reconciles various schools with clear organization. For readers who wish to systematically understand how various TCM schools before the early Qing were integrated into clinical application, this book provides a relatively complete framework of disease-pattern and formula correspondences, suitable as a desk reference and base text for topical study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Clinicians with some TCM foundation who wish to systematically understand successive schools' theories
TCM college students seeking reference to expand knowledge of pattern treatment and formula origins
Those interested in Xue Ji and Zhang Jiebin's thought that 'yang is not in excess, and true yin is insufficient'
Desk users who need to consult successive medical discussions and formula composition thinking by disease pattern

Not a good fit for

TCM enthusiasts with zero foundation seeking vernacular introductory books
Readers who only want a single specialty and are unwilling to engage with comprehensive multi-department content
Those expecting extensive personal innovation and exclusive secret formulas

Reading tips

Read the volume on ancestral formulas first to understand Zhang Lu's analytical framework for formula origins and composition, then proceed to the first twelve volumes on disease patterns.
When consulting by disease pattern, first read the cited passages from the Inner Canon and Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, then compare with later schools' discussions, and finally read Zhang Lu's commentary.
Excerpt discussions related to 'yang is not in excess, and true yin is insufficient' as a topic and read them against the original works of Xue Ji and Zhang Jiebin.
The last four volumes on formulas can be cross-referenced with the first twelve volumes on disease patterns: find formulas by disease and trace diseases by formula, forming a two-way consultation habit.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
序
<目录>卷一\中风门
<目录>卷二\诸伤门
<目录>卷三\寒热门
<目录>卷四\诸气门下
<目录>卷五\诸血门
<目录>卷六\痿痹门
<目录>卷七\大小府门
<目录>卷八\七窍门上
<目录>卷九\疮疡门
<目录>卷十\妇人门上
<目录>卷十一\妇人门下
<目录>卷十二
<目录>卷十三·专方
<目录>卷十四
<目录>卷十五\痔门
<目录>卷十六

FAQ

What is Zhang's Medical Compendium mainly about?

This is a comprehensive medical work. The first twelve volumes discuss diseases, covering internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, and the five sense organs, divided by section and pattern; they first cite discussions from the Inner Canon and Synopsis of the Golden Chamber, then quote successive schools and combine them with Zhang Lu's personal clinical experience. The last four volumes discuss formulas, including one volume on ancestral formulas and three volumes of specialized formulas divided by disease pattern, with formula explanations.

What is the relationship between this book and Standards for Diagnosis and Treatment?

According to the sources, the book's format follows Wang Kentang's Standards for Diagnosis and Treatment, likewise dividing by section and pattern and collecting various schools, but with more refined selection. Readers who have read Standards for Diagnosis and Treatment can compare the two books' material selection and arrangement for the same disease pattern to appreciate Zhang Lu's reconciling approach.

Which school does Zhang Lu's medical thinking lean toward?

According to the sources, Zhang Lu's overall medical thinking is relatively close to that of Xue Ji and Zhang Jiebin, and he focuses on expounding the theory that 'yang is not in excess, and true yin is insufficient.' When reading, pay attention to the book's application of the warming-and-tonifying approach, while also noting his characteristic of reconciling various schools rather than adhering to one.

How should the last four volumes on formulas be used?

The volume on ancestral formulas specifically discusses formula origins, composition functions, and treated patterns; it should be read first to establish a framework. The other three volumes collect formulas by disease pattern with formula explanations, suitable for cross-reference with the first twelve volumes on disease patterns—finding formulas by disease and tracing diseases by formula—as an index for clinical consultation.

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About the author

Zhang Lu Author · Chinese · 1617–1699

Zhang Lu (1617–1699), courtesy name Luyu and styled Shiwang Laoren in his later years, was a native of Changzhou in Jiangnan (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu) and a renowned physician of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. After the fall of the Ming he lived in seclusion on Dongting Mountain for more than a decade before returning to Suzhou to practice medicine, where he earned a high reputation and was counted, together with Yu Chang and Wu Qian, among the three great physicians of the early Qing. His Zhang shi yi tong (Comprehensive Medicine According to Mr. Zhang) circulated widely, and he also wrote works on cold damage disorders, materia medica, formulas and pulse diagnosis, making contributions in each of these fields. His writings are known for clinical practicality and clear organization and are valued by later physicians. This site holds twenty works under his name, chiefly medical, though some fall under world history, foreign literature and inspirational growth, suggesting that certain entries have been grouped under him from different authors. Public information on the details of his life is limited, and readers should consult prefaces to his books and histories of medicine for further study.