Mirror of Childbirth
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Researchers in Chinese gynecology and textual studies, examining traditions of obstetric argument
- Students at Chinese medicine colleges, using it as source reading and discussion material
- Enthusiasts of medical history and culture, interested in historical expressions of views on birth
- Clinicians, to reflect on the humanistic dimension of obstetric practice
Not a good fit for
- Ordinary pregnant women, for the book offers no modern prenatal examination or emergency guidance
- Practical readers seeking only quick-reference formulas
- Beginners with low tolerance for classical Chinese expression
Reading tips
- Read the opening question and answer first to understand why the author stresses the weight of what childbirth sustains, then read the later diagnosis and treatment.
- Read alongside Chanbao: one book emphasizes qi theory, the other obstetric argument; cross-reading is more complete.
- Excerpt key lines such as “what is at stake” and consider their humanistic concern in the context of medical history.
- Distinguish theoretical argument from specific therapeutic methods while reading; do not equate ancient wording directly with modern clinical conclusions.
About the publisher
Tibet People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for collating Tibetan and Chinese ancient texts and publishing traditional culture. Judging from the books in its catalogue, its publishing focuses on medicine, Eastern philosophy, classics, and ancient poetry. It offers traditional Chinese medical and health-preserving works such as the Compendium of Materia Medica, Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold, and Principles of Correct Diet, as well as canonical and philosophical texts including the Book of Changes, Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Annotated Edition of the Erya, and Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals, along with historical and geographical works such as The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores. Its authors include figures such as Li Shizhen, Sun Simiao, King Wen of Zhou, Zuo Qiuming, Guo Pu, Dong Zhongshu, Hu Sihui, and Ma Huan. The house emphasizes the collation and republication of ancient texts, balancing scholarship and accessibility, and has developed its own strengths in transmitting Tibetan and Chinese cultural classics. Public information is limited, so other publishing details are omitted here.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序
- 上卷
- 妊娠
- 妊娠恶阻
- 妊娠子烦
- 子痫
- 子悬
- 子肿
- 子气
- 子淋
- 转胞
- 胎漏
- 胎动
- 妊娠心痛
- 妊娠中恶
- 妊娠腰腹痛
- 妊娠心腹胀满
- 妊娠数堕胎
- 妊娠羸瘦
- 胎动欲产
- 妊娠咳嗽
- 妊娠伤寒
- 妊娠时疫
- 妊娠热病
- 妊娠疟疾
- 妊娠霍乱
- 妊娠泻泄
- 妊娠痢疾
- 瘦胎
- 妊娠鬼胎
- 下卷
- 头痛
- 遍身痛
- 中风
- 螈
- 痉疾
- 不语
- 癫狂
- 蓐劳
- 虚烦发热
- 汗出不止
- 泻痢
- 疟疾
- 霍乱
- 血崩
- 浮肿
- 喘
- 大便闭
- 小便闭
- 子宫不收
- 乳汁不通
- 半产
FAQ
What is the relationship between the title Chanjian and the content?
Why does the author say childbirth is “what is at stake”?
What background is needed before reading Chanjian?
Can this book replace modern obstetric guidance?
Comments
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About the author
Wang Huazhen was an official of the Ming dynasty. Publicly available information about his life is limited, and neither his dates of birth and death nor his native place is known. What can be confirmed is that he is associated with the medical work Chan Jian, and the library holds one work by him, commonly classified under medicine. Chan Jian is a specialized treatise on obstetrics in traditional Chinese medicine, covering pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, and reflecting the accumulated experience and diagnostic approaches of traditional Chinese medicine in the field of obstetrics. Because surviving materials on the author are scarce, his medical lineage, clinical career, and the circumstances in which the book was written are difficult to verify, and scholarly attention to the work has largely focused on its text and the obstetric knowledge it preserves. Overall, Wang Huazhen is remembered in the literature of Chinese obstetric medicine for Chan Jian, a work of some reference value for understanding ancient obstetric diagnosis and treatment as well as medical ideas, while both the man and his book await further study and verification.
