Treatise on Blood Disorders

唐容川Qunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.4

Word count: 112K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Written by Tang Zonghai (1851–1908) of the Qing dynasty and completed in 1884. Tang Zonghai, courtesy name Rongchuan, was a native of Pengxian, Sichuan, a holder of the jinshi degree, and a famous physician of the late Qing. Because his father was frail and sickly, he resolved to study medicine. Later, when his father suffered from spitting blood and passing blood and treatment according to various books proved ineffective, he set out to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders. He read widely in medical texts and deeply grasped the teachings of the Inner Canon and Zhang Zhongjing; on this basis he studied and combined formulas, and "using them to treat blood disorders, nine or ten out of ten were cured," and so wrote this work, "adequate in theory and effective in formula," filling the gap in earlier theory and clinical treatment of blood disorders.

Editor's review

Xue Zheng Lun is a monograph on blood disorders completed in 1884 by the late Qing physician Tang Rongchuan. Because his father was often ill and suffered from spitting and passing blood, Tang resolved to study medicine, read widely in medical texts, and deeply studied the Inner Canon and Zhang Zhongjing; in clinical practice he combined formulas and, treating blood disorders with them, cured nine or ten out of ten, and so wrote this work, "adequate in theory and effective in formula." Its value lies in filling the gap in earlier theory and clinical treatment of blood disorders and in integrating theory, method, formulas, and medicinals into the specific treatment of spitting blood, passing blood, and related patterns, embodying a scholarly path that starts from the classics and tests them in practice. For practitioners of Chinese medicine, teachers and students at Chinese medical colleges, and readers studying the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders in Chinese medicine, the book is both a theoretical reference and a demonstration of clinical thinking. Readers should attend to the sources of its theory and method and the logic of its formula composition, and understand them in light of the Inner Canon, Zhang Zhongjing's works, and clinical reality, rather than consulting it merely as a collection of formulas.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Clinicians practicing internal medicine and the treatment of blood disorders in Chinese medicine
Teachers and students at Chinese medical colleges and students of the Chinese medical classics
Scholars studying late Qing Chinese medical scholarship and the theory of blood disorders
Enthusiasts of Chinese medicine seeking a deeper grasp of the integration of theory, method, formulas, and medicinals

Not a good fit for

General readers with no foundation in Chinese medicine who merely want folk remedies
Readers expecting modern medical guidelines for blood diseases
Beginners in Chinese medicine unwilling to study medical theory and seeking only ready-made formulas

Reading tips

Review the relevant passages of the Inner Canon and Zhang Zhongjing first, then read this book to understand the sources of its theory and method.
Read chapter by chapter according to patterns such as spitting blood and passing blood, noting the correspondence of theory, method, formula, and medicinals in each.
Compare the formula compositions in the book with clinical case records, taking notes to test the reasoning.
Do not apply the book's formulas directly; use them according to pattern identification in light of the patient's actual condition and under mentorship.

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
卷一
卷二
卷三
卷四
卷五
卷六

FAQ

What does Xue Zheng Lun mainly discuss?

According to the sources, the book focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders, including spitting blood and passing blood. It deeply grasps the teachings of the Inner Canon and Zhang Zhongjing, combines formulas in its investigation, and, treating blood disorders with them, cures nine or ten out of ten, forming a system of treatment adequate in theory and effective in formula.

Why did Tang Rongchuan write this book?

Tang resolved to study medicine because his father was frail and often ill. Later, when his father suffered from spitting and passing blood and treatment according to various books proved ineffective, he set out to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders, reading widely in medical texts and testing his findings in practice, and finally wrote this book to fill the gap in the theory and clinical treatment of blood disorders.

Can someone without a foundation in Chinese medicine read this book directly?

The book is grounded in the Inner Canon and Zhang Zhongjing's learning and gives equal weight to theory, method, formulas, and medicinals; those without a foundation in Chinese medicine will find its pattern-identification logic hard to grasp. It is advisable first to acquire basic Chinese medical theory and introductory knowledge of the classics, or to read under mentorship, and not to use it merely as a formula index.

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About the author

唐容川 Author

Tang Rongchuan is an author known in modern times for his medical writings; public information about him is limited, and his dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name are not definitively recorded. Judging from the four works held in the collection, his writing concentrates on traditional Chinese medicine, with particular emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders. Blood Disorders Explained (Xue Zheng Lun) is his representative work, discussing the causes, pathogenesis, and treatment of various bleeding conditions in a clear, well-organized manner that combines formulas with theoretical discussion, giving his writing a distinctive character within clinical and theoretical works on Chinese medicine. Materia Medica in Questions and Answers (Ben Cao Wen Da) discusses the properties and uses of medicinal substances in a question-and-answer format, in plain language that is easy to study. A further title, Understanding Blood Disorders Explained, appears to be a later interpretation of that book, reflecting continuing interest in his theories on blood disorders. Overall, Tang Rongchuan's writings are grounded in clinical practice, emphasize careful analysis, and value practical utility, offering reference value for the study and transmission of the field of blood disorders in Chinese medicine.