Classified Treatment and Judgment

林佩琴Qunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.3

Word count: 372K words
Chapters: 11

Summary

The practice of medicine requires a person of balanced character and humane wisdom who also comprehends the principles of yin and yang, the source of life, and the differences of climate and regional constitution.

Editor's review

Compiled by the Qing-dynasty physician Lin Peiqin, Leizheng Zhicai (Classified Patterns and Their Treatment) is a comprehensive medical work that takes pattern classification as its framework and integrates the author's clinical experience. The opening declares that "the way of medicine requires a person of balanced, humane, and wise virtue, who moreover comprehends the principles of yin and yang, the source of life and nature, and the reasons why cold and heat differ in suitability and why north and south differ in natural endowment." This shows that the author was not content to list formulas and drugs but insisted that physicians cultivate moral character and grasp yin-yang, life and nature, and regional and constitutional differences as a whole. The book is organized by classified patterns; under each pattern it analyzes etiology and pathogenesis and discusses treatment methods and formulas, with clear organization that reflects the Qing scholarly orientation of valuing pattern differentiation and adapting treatment to time and place. This new edition from Qunyan Press offers readers a text close to the original. Its value lies in combining theoretical depth with a grounding in clinical pattern-based treatment, making it suitable as a reference for training pattern-differentiation thinking in Chinese medicine. When reading, one should follow the organizing thread of "classified patterns," compare treatment differences for the same pattern under different constitutions and regions, and note the author's discussion of medical ethics in order to appreciate the traditional medical emphasis on both humanistic cultivation and technical skill.

Who it's for

A good fit for

TCM clinicians seeking to strengthen syndrome differentiation and pattern classification skills
Advanced TCM students and graduate students who need to study Qing dynasty medical cases and medical discourse
Researchers of TCM literature interested in the editorial structure of Qing dynasty comprehensive medical texts
Readers with some grounding in classical Chinese who wish to explore medical theory in depth

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners, for whom the medical theory and classical Chinese phrasing present a high threshold
Readers seeking only simple formulas and proven remedies, with no interest in syndrome differentiation
Those expecting modern medical comparisons or a popular-science style

Reading tips

Begin with the medical discourse at the start of the volume to grasp the author's core views on medical ethics, yin-yang, and regional constitution.
Read section by section according to pattern categories; for each pattern, first consider the treatment approach independently, then compare it with the original text to analyze differences.
Keep a notebook to record how treatment approaches for the same pattern vary with constitution and region, building a comparison table.
If classical Chinese poses significant difficulty, read alongside a reliable vernacular translation or annotated edition.

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
序
卷之首
卷之一
卷之二
卷之三
卷之四
卷之五
卷之六
卷之七
卷之八

FAQ

Can I read Lei Zheng Zhi Cai without any foundation in classical Chinese?

There will be obvious difficulties. The book was written in the Qing dynasty, and its medical discussions and entries are markedly classical in style with dense terminology. It is advisable first to have some ability to read classical Chinese, or to use an annotated or translated edition for comparison; otherwise it is easy to misunderstand the original meaning.

How does this book differ from ordinary formula books?

Ordinary formula books are mostly organized by formula and focus on composition and indications; this book is organized by classified syndromes, first differentiating pathogenesis and syndrome, then discussing treatment methods and formulas. It emphasizes pattern-differentiation thinking and adaptation to time and place, making it suitable for training clinical thinking rather than simply looking up formulas.

What does the book's emphasis on "different endowments in north and south" suggest for reading?

It reminds readers to note the influence of regional and constitutional differences on diagnosis and treatment. When reading a specific syndrome, observe whether the author adjusts treatment according to differences in northern and southern climate and soil, so as to understand the individualized approach of Chinese medicine rather than mechanically applying fixed formulas.

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About the author

林佩琴 Author

Lin Peiqin was a physician of the Qing dynasty. Very little is known about his life, and public sources are limited: his dates of birth and death, native place, and medical training cannot be reliably established. What can be confirmed is that Lin Peiqin wrote Leizheng Zhicai (Classified Syndromes and Their Treatment), a work on traditional Chinese medicine generally classified under medicine. The book organizes clinical diseases and syndromes by category, weaving together principles, methods, formulas, and drugs, and reflects the author's approach of emphasizing syndrome differentiation and practical use. This surviving work shows that Lin Peiqin systematically arranged the identification of syndromes and the treatments and formulas for internal miscellaneous diseases, in clear and well-ordered prose convenient for clinical reference. The book has had some influence in clinical practice and in the transmission of Chinese medical literature, and it remains the main basis for understanding his medical thought.