About the author

Shi Kan's courtesy name, place of origin, and dates of birth and death are not clearly recorded, and publicly available information is limited. What can now be confirmed is a single work on traditional Chinese medicine, Shi Zai Zhi Fang, which is also his representative work and is classified in the library under medicine and health and health. Judging from the surviving bibliographical information, Shi Kan's writing centers on formularies, unfolding around formulas used in clinical practice and combining the nature of a medical formula compilation with that of a practical diagnostic and treatment reference; it reflects the traditional physician's approach of emphasizing the correspondence between formulas and patterns and making the text easy to consult. Because few details of his life have been transmitted, later generations know little about his teachers, medical career, or scholarly background, and discussion tends to depend on Shi Zai Zhi Fang itself. For general readers, Shi Kan's name survives mainly through this formulary and can serve as an introductory clue for understanding ancient formula literature and the tradition of Chinese medical formularies; a deeper assessment of his medical standing would still require further examination of the original book and other historical sources.

Written (1)

Publishers

Shanghai Scientific & Technical Publishers