Section on Smallpox and Measles

Chen MengleiJun 2024

2.8

Word count: 611K words
Chapters: 43

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive and literary. Early intellectual forms have distinctive features: religious theology, classical medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, local customs and geography, and other fields are all vast and profound. This series, "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Douzhen Men is a classical Chinese medical text devoted specifically to douzhen (eruptive diseases such as smallpox and measles). It is included in the "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts" series in its original form. Its value lies not in offering modern diagnostic or treatment protocols, but in showing how earlier physicians observed, differentiated and recorded epidemic disease; it is a primary source for understanding the traditional medical knowledge system and conceptions of epidemic illness. Readers will encounter ancient doctors' detailed classification of symptoms and disease progression, as well as the expressive conventions and historical limitations of traditional texts. It is suitable as supplementary reading for enthusiasts of Chinese medical literature, medical history and traditional culture. It is best read alongside modern annotated editions, with a critical eye for ancient meanings, and should not be treated as a treatment manual to be applied directly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of Chinese medical literature and medical history who need to examine ancient records of smallpox and measles-type conditions
Enthusiasts of traditional culture who want to understand how people in earlier times understood and recorded eruptive diseases
Students of Chinese medicine seeking extracurricular reading of primary texts and reference on edition formats
Collectors of books and Chinese classics series interested in facsimile or edited editions that preserve the original appearance

Not a good fit for

Patients and family members seeking modern diagnosis and treatment plans for smallpox or measles
Beginners without a foundation in classical Chinese who need vernacular annotations
Readers who use ancient formulas directly as prescriptions without regard to historical limitations

Reading tips

Begin with the preface and table of contents to understand the background and structure, then move to the main text.
Keep a dictionary of Chinese medical terms at hand and look up ancient disease names and drug names as you go, avoiding literal guesswork.
Read alongside modern annotated editions or works on medical history, distinguishing ancient experience from present-day consensus.
Read only a small section at a time and note questions and historical limitations as you go, building your own critical notes.

版权信息
卷四百五十九痘疹门
卷四百六十痘疹门
卷四百六十一痘疹门
卷四百六十二痘疹门
卷四百六十三痘疹门
卷四百六十四痘疹门
卷四百六十五痘疹门
卷四百六十六痘疹门
卷四百六十七痘疹门
卷四百六十八痘疹门
卷四百六十九痘疹门
卷四百七十痘疹门
卷四百七十一痘疹门
卷四百七十二痘疹门
卷四百七十三痘疹门
卷四百七十四痘疹门
卷四百七十五痘疹门
卷四百七十六痘疹门
卷四百七十七痘疹门
卷四百七十八痘疹门
卷四百七十九痘疹门
卷四百八十痘疹门
卷四百八十一痘疹门
卷四百八十二痘疹门
卷四百八十三痘疹门
卷四百八十四痘疹门
卷四百八十五痘疹门
卷四百八十六痘疹门
卷四百八十七痘疹门
卷四百八十八痘疹门
卷四百八十九痘疹门
卷四百九十痘疹门
卷四百九十一痘疹门
卷四百九十二痘疹门
卷四百九十三痘疹门
卷四百九十四痘疹门
卷四百九十五痘疹门
卷四百九十六痘疹门
卷四百九十七痘疹门
卷四百九十八痘疹门
卷四百九十九痘疹门
卷五百痘疹门

FAQ

Can this book be used to guide the treatment of smallpox or measles today?

It should not be applied directly. It preserves ancient physicians' observations and discussions of smallpox- and measles-type conditions, and its disease names, diagnostic framework and drug system differ from modern medicine. Diagnosis and treatment today should follow the advice of licensed medical institutions; this book is better read and studied as a document of medical literature and history.

Can I read it without a foundation in Chinese medicine?

You can browse it, but it will be difficult. The original text is preserved, terminology is dense and modern annotations are lacking, so without a foundation it is easy to misunderstand. It is advisable first to acquire some basic knowledge of Chinese medicine and experience in reading classical Chinese, or to start with an annotated edition and then return to the original.

What does "preserving the original appearance of the book" mean?

It means the series strives to present the document as it originally appeared rather than rewriting it as popular reading material, so that readers can experience the original structure and language. The benefit is closeness to primary sources; the cost is a higher reading threshold, requiring readers to look things up and interpret for themselves.

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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.