Ancestral Formulas

施沛Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJul 2024

3.5

Word count: 73K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Master Xuanyan said: Zhongjing expanded Yiyin's Decoctions and used them with much success. Cheng Liaoshe said that the various formulas of antiquity are so distant in time that they are hard to verify in detail; only Zhongjing's book stands as the ancestor of all formulas. In essence, Zhongjing based himself on Yiyin's methods, Yiyin on Shennong's classic, and the Xuanyuan and Qibo works, the Ling and Su, were made by the great sages. As for the method of compounding formulas, it says: one sovereign and two ministers is a small formulation; two sovereigns and four ministers is a large formulation. In the classics, formulas such as Mixian Zhuzhe Tang, Wuzeyu San, Banxia Tang, and Jishi Li are mostly no more than three or four ingredients. Later Xu Yinzong also said the ancients used drugs briefly, essentially, and with focus. Thus Zhongjing's formulas contain very few ingredients. Later, Jiegu and Dongyuan created formulas with as many as thirty-odd ingredients; some say Dongyuan was like Han Xin commanding troops—the more the better—but when others imitate him, they risk the ridicule of spreading nets over the open field. In this collection, the two formulas from the Su and Ling are placed first, followed by one formula from Yiyin's Decoctions as the source, and then all of Zhongjing's formulas as the ancestors; the Ju Fang's Erchen, Siwu, Sijunzi and similar decoctions are appended by category. As for Dongyuan's...

Editor's review

Compiled by the Ming-dynasty physician Shi Pei, Zuji is a formulary text whose organizing principle is distinctive among Chinese medical formularies: rather than piling up prescriptions by disease category, it traces each formula back to its source, taking the formulas recorded in the Suwen and Lingshu and Yi Yin's decoctions as its ultimate origin and Zhang Zhongjing's formulas as the ancestor of all formulas, then appending commonly used formulas from the Jufang—Erchentang, Siwutang, Sijunzitang, and others—by category, forming a layered genealogy of ancestral formulas. Citing Xuan Yan xiansheng, Cheng Wuji, Xu Yinzong, and the teachings of Jiegu and Dongyuan, the book discusses the difference between ancient and modern practice in the simplicity or complexity of drug use, and is of great help in understanding the origins of classical formulas and the later evolution of prescriptions. This is a reprint of the edition issued by Shanghai Jinzhang Shuju, retaining the old-style typesetting. It is suitable as reference material for the history of formularies and the study of classical formulas, not as a quick clinical manual; readers need some grounding in Chinese medical formulas and materia medica to appreciate its logic of classification and its choices of inclusion and exclusion.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Chinese medicine professionals studying the history of Chinese formularies and the origins of classical formulas
Chinese medicine learners already familiar with common formulas who wish to sort out the relationship between ancestral and derived formulas
Researchers of medical history and texts concerned with the continuity between the Jufang and Zhongjing's formulas

Not a good fit for

General readers without a foundation in Chinese medicine who wish to look up formulas by disease
Clinical beginners expecting modern dosage conversions and practical clinical guidance

Reading tips

Begin with the prefatory discussion of the origins of formulas at the start of the volume to grasp the organizing principle that takes Zhongjing's formulas as the ancestor.
Keep a copy of the Shanghanlun and Jinkui Yaolue at hand, and whenever an ancestral formula appears, consult the original passages and their indications.
When reaching appended formulas such as Erchentang, Siwutang, and Sijunzitang, draw a table matching ancestral to derived formulas to clarify the lines of modification.

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>卷之一
<目录>卷之二
<目录>卷之三
<目录>卷之四

FAQ

What does the title Zuji mean?

Zu means the source or ancestral formula of a prescription, and ji means formula. The book takes the formulas of the Suwen and Lingshu and Yi Yin's decoctions as its ultimate origin, Zhang Zhongjing's formulas as the ancestor of all formulas, and then appends later commonly used formulas by category, aiming to trace the source and derivations of each class of formula rather than simply compile proven prescriptions.

Why does the book say Zhongjing's formulas are the ancestor of all formulas?

According to the views cited in the book, Cheng Wuji and others held that the formulas of antiquity are too remote to be examined in detail, and that only Zhongjing's book stands as the ancestor of all formulas, since Zhongjing took Yi Yin's decoctions as his model and Yi Yin drew on the Shennong canon. This view is the core basis of the organization of Zuji and reflects the Ming physicians' judgment of the status of classical formulas; readers may understand it in light of the various cited authorities.

What is the significance of the book's discussion of simple versus complex drug use?

Citing Xu Yinzong, the book holds that the ancients used drugs briefly, precisely, and with single-minded focus, and that Zhongjing's formulas contain very few ingredients; whereas Jiegu and Dongyuan composed formulas with as many as thirty-odd ingredients, likened to Han Xin commanding troops—the more the better—though others who imitated them were criticized as spreading nets over the open country. This discussion concerns the choice between simplicity and complexity in formula composition and is an important thread for understanding the book's conception of ancestral formulas.

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About the author

施沛 Author

Shi Pei is an author in Chinese medical literature about whom very little biographical information is available; his native place, dates of birth and death, and formal career cannot be verified from public sources. What can be confirmed is that two medical works survive under his name, Mai Wei and Zu Ji. Judging from their titles and subject matter, both belong to the field of traditional Chinese medicine: Mai Wei presumably deals with pulse diagnosis, discussing the identification of pulse patterns and their clinical significance, while Zu Ji concerns the organization and transmission of prescriptions and appears to involve the systematic arrangement of clinical用药 experience. Together they reflect the author's attention to the basic skills of clinical practice in Chinese medicine, one addressing diagnosis and the other treatment. Because verifiable biographical material is scarce, any understanding of Shi Pei must rest on these two works, and his writing style and specific influence still await further study in light of their contents.