Continuation of Medical Sayings
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Researchers and graduate students in Chinese medical history and literature who need to compile materials on Ming physicians and medical events
- Readers interested in the cultural and social history of Chinese medicine, suitable for topical reading
- Clinical practitioners of Chinese medicine who wish to understand the origins of traditional medical concepts through historical anecdotes
- Scholars of rare book collation and textual editions interested in the printing features and textual form of this book
Not a good fit for
- Beginners seeking a systematic study of basic Chinese medicine theory or clinical practice
- General readers looking for complete narratives or accessible popular science
- Readers accustomed to modern vernacular explanations who find classical Chinese notebook-style writing difficult
Reading tips
- Read the table of contents and prefaces first to understand the book's structure and its purpose of supplementing Yi Shuo, then select entries for close reading
- Keep a notebook and excerpt entries by topic, such as physicians, medical events, and medical discussions, for later reference
- Read alongside Zhang Gao's Yi Shuo of the Song Dynasty to compare their sources and arguments
- Look up names, book titles, and medical case terms in reference works as needed; do not attempt to read it all at once
About the publisher
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.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序
- 卷一\原医
- 卷二\古今名医
- 卷三\辩惑
- 卷四\格言
- 卷五\养生杂言
- 卷六\伤寒
- 卷七\仙方
- 卷八\白浊
- 卷九\眼齿耳鼻
- 卷十\药性
FAQ
Is Xu Yi Shuo a systematic work of medical theory?
Can readers without a background in Chinese medicine read this book?
How can readers make the most of its value as historical material?
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About the author
Yu Bian, whose courtesy name, native place, and dates of birth and death are all unknown, has only very limited publicly available information. Judging from the works held in the collection, he was involved in two fields: medicine and poetry criticism. In medicine, he wrote Xu Yishuo (Sequel to the Remarks on Medicine), which follows the earlier genre of medical talks, gathering case records, medical discussions, and clinical observations, and belongs to the tradition of medical notebooks. In poetry, he wrote Yilaotang Shihua (Poetry Talks from the Hall of the Retired Elder), which comments in essayistic form on poets and poems of successive ages, discussing diction, conception, and the merits and faults of poetic styles, and shows a clear literati flavor of talking about the art of poetry. Although the two subjects are far apart, both works adopt the note-taking manner, recording items one by one and composed at random, with emphasis on personal reading and observations rather than on building a systematic theory. As far as the extant materials show, Yu Bian's writings have some reference value for understanding the forms of ancient medical talks and poetry talks, while his life still awaits the discovery of new sources.
