Record of Returning the Inkstone

王士雄Qunyan Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.1

Word count: 61K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

[Gui Yan Lu (Records of the Inkstone) is a 4-volume work written by Wang Shixiong of the Qing dynasty in 1838. The book gathers Wang's observations, miscellaneous reflections, medical learning, and clinical experience from his practice in various places, and also selects medical case records from various schools and folk single prescriptions and proven remedies, appending his own original views. It further offers an objective evaluation and analysis of ancient medical literature, and includes some accounts of strange diseases and odd remedies. The book is included in the Qianzhai Medical Collection.

Editor's review

Gui Yan Lu is a note-style medical work in which the Qing physician Wang Shixiong accumulated years of observations and reflections from medical practice. In four volumes, its contents are varied: clinical insights and diagnostic experience from practicing in various places, medical case records from various schools, folk single prescriptions and proven remedies, and objective evaluation and analysis of ancient medical literature, interspersed with records of strange diseases and odd remedies. Its value lies in presenting a clinician's judgment process in real medical settings rather than systematic textbook-style exposition. Readers can see how traditional physicians moved back and forth between literature and clinical practice in verification, and feel the casualness and vividness characteristic of the note genre. This edition makes one title in the Qianzhai Medical Collection accessible to general readers and serves as an introductory work for understanding Qing physicians' scholarly vision and medical practice. It should be read as historical material and notes rather than a practical manual for looking up remedies by disease.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in traditional Chinese medical literature and Qing medical history
Practitioners in traditional Chinese medicine who wish to understand ancient clinical thinking
Readers who enjoy note-style works and prefer fragmented reading
Cultural and historical enthusiasts studying the circulation of medical case records and folk proven remedies

Not a good fit for

Readers who hope to look up prescriptions in the book and use them directly for self-treatment
Beginners who need systematic textbooks on traditional Chinese medicine theory
Those impatient with the classical-Chinese note genre and seeking popular explanations

Reading tips

Begin with the medical observations and insights in volumes one and two to form an overall impression of the author's thinking.
Mark case records and proven remedies as you go, and revisit them after finishing a section; do not try to memorize everything at once.
Remain cautious about the strange diseases and odd remedies in the book, and analyze them in note form against modern medical common sense.
If needed for research, list the cited physicians and texts separately for further reference.

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
归砚录
弁言
序
题词
跋
卷一
卷二
卷三
卷四

FAQ

Is this book a systematic textbook of traditional Chinese medicine?

No. It is a note-style medical work whose contents are the author's medical observations, miscellaneous reflections, and insights, along with selected case records and proven remedies. Its structure is loose and it lacks the systematic nature of a textbook. It is better read as historical material and notes for understanding Qing physicians' clinical vision rather than studied chapter by chapter for theory.

Can the proven remedies collected in the book be used directly?

Not recommended. The folk single prescriptions, proven remedies, and odd remedies for strange diseases come from a particular historical context, and dosage, preparation, and conditions of use all require professional judgment. General readers should treat them as documentary material and consult a qualified physician for any actual medication; they should not be self-administered according to the book.

Can readers without a foundation in traditional Chinese medicine get through it?

You can try, but adjust your expectations. The book involves case records and textual analysis, and comprehension will suffer without a foundation. It is advisable to start with the more narrative observations, set aside passages dense with technical terms for later reference, and not insist on reading everything through.

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About the author

王士雄 Author

Wang Shixiong was a physician of the Qing dynasty. Nine of his works are held in this collection, covering warm diseases, cholera, medical case records, and dietary health. His representative works include the Revised Treatise on Cholera from Suixiju, the Compendium of Warm Diseases, the Wang family case records series, and the Dietary Register from Suixiju, showing that his writings combine theoretical analysis with clinical records and attend to daily diet and regimen. Public information is limited, so details such as his birth and death years, native place, and teachers remain difficult to confirm; judged by his extant works, however, his style is practical and grounded, stressing pattern differentiation and usefulness, and his writings have had some influence on later transmission of warm-disease studies and dietary therapy literature in Chinese medicine.