Section on Chest and Abdomen

Chen MengleiJul 2024

3.5

Word count: 91K words
Chapters: 31

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive and literary. Early intellectual forms have distinctive features: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and arcane studies, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and extensive. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate their temperament and subtly engage with the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

This book belongs to the series "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts" and presents material on the "chest and abdomen section" from ancient Chinese medical texts while preserving the original books' appearance. For general readers, its value lies not in quick practical use but in direct contact with traditional medicine's classificatory thinking, terminology and textual form, and in understanding how ancients perceived the body and described symptoms. The original format and wording are retained, so readers can sense the distinctive rhythm and knowledge structure of Chinese medical literature; it is well suited as a specimen for approaching traditional medical texts. It is better for slow reading and reference than for reading straight through. Read alongside works on basic Chinese medical theory, it can help build a three-layer understanding of "original text—concept—background." Note that ancient texts have historical limitations; readers should focus on cultural understanding and textual appreciation and should not use the book to judge illness or prescribe remedies themselves. Overall, it is a traditional-culture reader suited to the desk, to be consulted as needed.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in classical Chinese medicine and traditional culture who wish to encounter original texts
Students at Chinese medical colleges who need to understand the format and terminology of traditional medical literature
People engaged in popularizing, writing about or editing traditional culture who need reference material
Readers of literature and history who enjoy slow reading of old books for textual appreciation

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping to quickly obtain treatments or practical folk remedies
Beginners lacking patience for classical Chinese who expect mainly plain-language explanation
People intending to diagnose themselves or use medicines based on the book's content

Reading tips

Read the preface or publishing note first to understand the series' editorial principle of preserving the original appearance, then move to the main text.
Keep a dictionary of basic Chinese medical terms at hand and look up unfamiliar words promptly to avoid taking them too literally.
Read only a small section at a time, then restate the symptom descriptions in your own words to test whether you have truly understood.
Read in comparison with modern works on basic Chinese medical theory, distinguishing original wording from later interpretation

版权信息
黄帝素问
灵枢经
扁鹊难经
中藏经【汉华佗】
脉诀【晋王叔和】
千金方【唐孙思邈】
仁斋直指方【宋杨士瀛】
疮疡全书【金窦汉卿】
济生方【宋严用和】
河间六书【金刘完素】
明理论【金成无己】
儒门事亲【元张从政】
东垣十书【元李杲】
丹溪心法【元朱震亨】
医学正传【明虞抟】
证治要诀【明戴思恭】
古今医鉴【明龚信】
奇效良方【明方贤】
薛氏医案【明薛己】
医学纲目【明楼英】
医学入门【明李梴】
证治准绳【明王肯堂】
医方考【明吴昆】
医门法律【清喻昌】
景岳全书【明张介宾】
方
单方
针灸
导引
医案

FAQ

Can this book be used as a family medical manual?

Not recommended. The book focuses on preserving and transmitting the original appearance of traditional literature and retains ancient medicine's wording and classification, with clear historical limitations. Readers can use it to understand ancients' views of the body and textual forms, but should not judge illness or choose medicines on its basis. For illness, seek proper medical care.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

You can, but it takes patience. The book preserves the original appearance, with dense terminology and archaic syntax, so beginners will encounter obstacles. Use a Chinese medical terminology dictionary and annotated editions, read slowly section by section, and aim first for the general meaning rather than word-for-word mastery. If you have no experience with classical Chinese at all, start with accessible popular books on Chinese medical culture.

What is the "chest and abdomen section" about?

Judging from the title, it reflects the arrangement in traditional medical literature by body part or symptom, centering on records related to the chest and abdomen. Specific entries and format should follow the original text in the book; this recommendation does not summarize details not developed in the text. Readers may understand it as one of the ancients' classificatory frameworks for knowing the body.

How should one choose titles from this series?

The series covers religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, historical and local records, and more, spanning a wide range. Choose by your interests rather than reading the whole set. For research or writing, start with the table of contents to locate relevant categories; for cultivation of temperament, begin with titles whose language is easier to enter.

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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.