Explanation of the Treatise on Cold Damage

Author: Li Xinji
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases is a medical classic written by Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han Dynasty, combining theory and clinical practice based on the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, the Classic of Difficult Issues, and his own clinical experiences. It plays an extremely important role in the theoretical and academic development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and in guiding clinical diagnosis and treatment. The differential diagnostic and treatment principles, as well as the prescription and medication methods contained in this work, are not only applicable to exogenous febrile diseases but also to internal injury and miscellaneous diseases, influencing the development of TCM and laying the theoretical foundation for its differential diagnosis and treatment. Treatise on Cold Damage is a part of Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases, a specialized work focusing primarily on the treatment of cold damage that gradually separated from the original text during its later dissemination. Generations of medical scholars have explored and elaborated on it from various perspectives, making contributions that are well-documented in nearly a thousand works, providing us with rich and valuable literary resources for studying Treatise on Cold Damage. Professor Li Xinji has dedicated over thirty years to the study of Treatise on Cold Damage, accumulating extensive clinical experience and possessing profound insights into its research. Building on his previous work, Interpretation of Difficulties in Treatise on Cold Damage, which I wrote the preface for, he has now authored Comprehensive Interpretation of Treatise on Cold Damage. He systematically and thoroughly explains the original text of Zhang Zhongjing’s work in its original sequence, achieving an academic height that establishes his scholarly position in the field of Treatise on Cold Damage research. To interpret the original text of Treatise on Cold Damage and understand its true meaning, the author proposes four suggestions, which are also the four principles he follows in this book:
1. Adhere to the original text of Treatise on Cold Damage and avoid altering it according to personal interpretation. This preserves the authenticity of the original work.
2. Learn from the annotations of predecessors but do not blindly follow them. He points out that some annotations contain errors due to misinterpretation of sentences, unclear understanding of conventions, lack of detailed explanation of terms, insufficient grasp of principles, failure to discern contextual reasoning, inability to distinguish between general and specific expressions, or ignorance of linguistic features. Blindly adhering to such annotations not only fails to achieve correct understanding but may even perpetuate errors as truth.
3. Allow Treatise on Cold Damage to interpret itself, thereby avoiding the constraints of "misinterpreting tradition." He emphasizes that collation and reading are the true methods of learning and research.
4. Use the Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic as a basis to reconstruct Zhang Zhongjing’s thought process in formulating prescriptions and medications, exploring the patterns of differential diagnosis and medication use.
In summary, although this book is titled Comprehensive Interpretation, it does not follow the old Han and Tang Dynasty conventions of "annotations not breaking the classic" or "explanations not breaking annotations." It avoids the outdated practice of merely decorating the text without genuine insight. The book’s key feature is "allowing Treatise on Cold Damage to interpret itself," using collation and reading methods to clarify difficulties and ambiguities. The text is clear, easy to understand, and deeply rooted in clinical practice. Additionally, the author has devoted significant effort and time to creating a concise, convenient, and practical reference system. Therefore, this book is an invaluable resource for both beginners and researchers. This is the preface. Treatise on Cold Damage was written by Zhang Zhongjing of the Han Dynasty and is one of the classic works of traditional Chinese medicine, a must-read for medical practitioners. However, the text is ancient and the language archaic, with profound medical principles, making it difficult to read. Since the Han and Tang dynasties, there have been over 800 scholars who have annotated this work, yet many ambiguities remain, making it challenging to read. In light of this, the author has accumulated insights from over 30 years of studying Treatise on Cold Damage, combined with clinical practice, to provide a comprehensive interpretation titled Comprehensive Interpretation of Treatise on Cold Damage. This book is based on the Collation and Annotation of Treatise on Cold Damage published by the People’s Health Publishing House in 1991. The book’s features are:
① Preserve the original form of Treatise on Cold Damage without altering the text according to personal interpretation;
② Allow Treatise on Cold Damage to interpret itself, reflecting Zhang Zhongjing’s original intent;
③ Break the old conventions of "annotations not breaking the classic" or "explanations not breaking annotations," inheriting the achievements of predecessors while giving annotations new meaning and unique insights;
④ Use the Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic as a basis to explore Zhang Zhongjing’s patterns and thought processes in formulating prescriptions and medications;
⑤ The medical principles are explained in a clear and accessible manner, connecting theory with practice, and the text is lucid and well-organized.
An appendix at the end of the book includes summaries of passages, a bibliography, keyword index, prescription index, and formula index for easy reference. This book is an indispensable reference for medical educators and researchers in traditional Chinese medicine.