Section on Deficiency and Consumption

Chen MengleiJul 2024

3.2

Word count: 81K words
Chapters: 29

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of 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 are all vast and profound in content. This series, "Essence of Classic Chinese 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 can cultivate their temperament and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

This book belongs to the series "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts." Its author, Chen Menglei, was a Qing dynasty scholar, and its content falls under classical texts of Chinese medicine, centering on the traditional medical theme of "consumption" (xulao), namely deficiency and strain. As an edition that preserves the appearance of the original book, its value lies not in being a popular health guide but in presenting the original formulations of traditional medicine on the causes, patterns and treatment approaches of consumption, allowing readers direct contact with the vocabulary and format of ancient texts. Reading it requires some grounding in Chinese medicine and classical Chinese in order to distinguish its theoretical framework from the limitations of its era. It is suitable as supplementary material for the study of Chinese medical literature or for reference by those interested in traditional medical culture. Readers seeking modern medical diagnostic advice or light, easy-to-understand health reading should not start with this book. Overall, it is a reference and documentary reader, better read slowly and in comparison than skimmed for leisure.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who study Chinese medical literature and need to consult original texts on consumption
Enthusiasts with a foundation in classical Chinese who are interested in traditional medical theory
Researchers compiling classics of Chinese learning or studying Chinese medical culture who need reference material
Students at Chinese medical colleges who wish to understand the framework of ancient discussions on deficiency and strain

Not a good fit for

Patients and family members seeking modern medical diagnosis and treatment plans
Beginners without a foundation in classical Chinese who want light reading
General readers looking for popular health and wellness methods

Reading tips

First understand the basic meaning of consumption in Chinese medicine before entering the original text, to avoid conceptual confusion.
Read alongside a textbook of basic Chinese medical theory and look up terms promptly.
Treat the discussions as historical documents rather than a basis for diagnosis and treatment, and note the limitations of the era.
Take excerpts and notes, organizing them by cause, pattern and treatment for easy reference.

版权信息
虚劳门
黄帝素问
灵枢经
扁鹊难经
金匮要略【汉张机】
中藏经【汉华佗】
千金方【唐孙思邈】
济生方【宋严用和】
河间六书【金刘完素】
东垣十书【元李杲】
丹溪心法【元朱震亨】
证治要诀【明戴思恭】
明医杂着【明王纶】
医学正传【明虞抟】
虚劳门
医学入门【明李梴】
医学纲目【明楼英】
医宗必读【明李中梓】
古今医统【明徐春甫】
医贯【明赵献可】
医门法律【清喻昌】
虚劳门
景岳全书【明张介宾】
方
单方
针灸
导引
医案

FAQ

Can this book be used to treat myself or my family?

No. This book is an edition of a classical Chinese medical text that preserves the original appearance and presents historical discussions of consumption in traditional medicine; it is not a modern diagnostic or treatment plan. If you feel unwell, you should see a doctor for professional diagnosis. Reading this book is better suited to documentary understanding or theoretical study; do not use it to self-medicate or regulate your health.

Can I read this book without a foundation in Chinese medicine?

It will be rather difficult. The book involves traditional medical terminology, descriptions of patterns and classical Chinese prose, which are easily misunderstood without a foundation in Chinese medicine and experience reading classical Chinese. It is advisable to first read introductory books on basic Chinese medical theory and common knowledge of classical Chinese, or read and discuss with readers who have such a foundation, before approaching the original text.

What effect does "preserving the appearance of the original book" have on reading?

It means that in editing, the original book's format, terminology and mode of expression are maintained as far as possible, without extensive popularizing rewriting. The advantage is direct contact with the original text, which facilitates research; the cost is a higher threshold for reading, as terms and prose require independent verification. Readers should be prepared to read slowly and consult reference works.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

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.