The Epilepsy Section

Chen MengleiJul 2024

3.0

Word count: 15K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture has a long history and is highly original, innovative, and literary. Early forms of thought are especially distinctive, covering religion and theology, classical Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography—all profound and extensive.

This series, "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: 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

As one volume in the series "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts," *Xian Men* (On Epilepsy) was compiled and edited by Chen Menglei and preserves the original form of traditional Chinese medical literature. The book focuses on epilepsy as a topic in ancient medicine, addressing etiology, pathogenesis, and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, and is an important window into how traditional Chinese medicine understood neurological disorders. Its value lies not in popular science but in documentary fidelity: readers can see how ancients explained illness through yin-yang and the Five Phases and through the theories of the zang-fu organs and meridians, and can appreciate the expressive style and logic of classical Chinese medical texts. Its contents intertwine with traditional cultural contexts such as religion and theology, Confucianism, and Daoism, making it suitable as supplementary material for studying Chinese medical literature. Reading it requires some ability to read classical Chinese and a foundation in Chinese medicine; otherwise, readers may remain at the literal level and find the medical content difficult to grasp. For readers interested in the academic origins of Chinese medicine, the history of ancient diseases, or original texts of traditional culture, this book offers a concrete and detailed entry point and is best read alongside related works on medical history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of Chinese medical literature who need to consult original materials on epilepsy in ancient China
Students at Chinese medicine colleges, using it alongside internal medicine of Chinese medicine courses to expand their reading of classical texts
Enthusiasts of the history of ancient diseases interested in traditional medicine's understanding of epilepsy
Readers of classical Chinese culture who are willing to patiently study specialized medical texts

Not a good fit for

General readers with no background, who may find the classical Chinese and medical knowledge obscure
Patients or family members seeking modern guidelines for diagnosing and treating epilepsy
Readers who prefer popular science or light reading

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and preface to clarify the book's place in Chinese medical literature and its structure.
Keep a classical Chinese dictionary and a textbook of basic Chinese medicine theory on hand to check terminology at any time.
After each section, briefly restate the pathogenesis and treatment in plain Chinese to test your understanding.
Read it alongside relevant chapters of the *Huangdi Neijing* to understand the theoretical sources.

版权信息
古今图书集成医部全录卷二百九十八
一
二

FAQ

Can I understand *Xian Men* without a foundation in Chinese medicine?

It will be quite difficult. This book is an original classical text with dense terminology and no vernacular explanations; those lacking a foundation in Chinese medicine and classical Chinese may struggle to understand it. It is advisable to first build basic knowledge of Chinese medicine theory and classical Chinese, or start with popular introductions to Chinese medicine before attempting this book.

Can this book replace modern materials on diagnosing and treating epilepsy?

No. This book is a collated or reproduced edition of ancient Chinese medical literature reflecting traditional medical understanding; it does not include modern diagnostic standards or treatment protocols. Patients and family members should rely on modern medical diagnosis and treatment, and use this book only as a reference for textual and cultural research.

What does it mean that this series preserves the original appearance of the books?

It means that, during editing, the original chapter structure, wording, and layout features are maintained as much as possible, with minimal deletion, alteration, or vernacular translation, so that readers can encounter text close to its original form. This benefits textual research but also means the reading threshold is relatively high.

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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.