"Book of Meridians"

Author: Xu Zeng (Ming) / et al.
Editor-in-Chief: Xu Yanchun / et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-03-01
Features:
Editor's Note: To excavate and preserve the treasures of traditional Chinese medicine, the publishing house has been issuing a large series of books titled "Classic Works of Traditional Chinese Medicine" since 1983. These works cover various aspects, from classical theories and clinical diagnosis to Chinese herbal medicine, prescriptions, Qigong, and health preservation. In the past, due to the rarity and secrecy of these books, general readers could not access them. Now, many rare and valuable manuscripts have been reproduced and widely disseminated, gaining enthusiastic support from the academic community and readers both domestically and internationally. However, among thousands of rare and less-circulated ancient Chinese medical texts, some are too fragile, damaged, or have unique formats unsuitable for printing. To rescue these precious works, the publishing house has also compiled "A Series of Rare Medical Manuscripts," providing punctuation and simple annotations before publishing them. Additionally, some valuable works that have not yet been printed due to the needs of medical, teaching, and research are included in this series to meet the demands of medical professionals and promote the popularization and advancement of traditional Chinese medicine. To date, over 40 volumes have been published, and many readers have written inquiring about common issues. We believe it is necessary to clarify the following: Due to social and historical reasons, some medical texts contain inappropriate statements, or even and unscientific content. Certain discussions may also temporarily defy modern scientific theories. However, our task is to rescue rare and valuable ancient Chinese medical manuscripts, preserving their integrity and accurately reflecting their original form to facilitate scientific research. Therefore, we refrain from altering or removing such content, hoping readers will discern the essence from the dross and utilize it with scientific thinking and methods.
This series contains numerous prescriptions, many of which are simple yet effective. Many medical practitioners have reported positive outcomes after clinical use, curing serious illnesses swiftly. However, since diseases vary in yin-yang, interior-exterior, and cold-heat, and patients differ in constitution and timing, no single prescription can be universally applicable. Moreover, some prescriptions require rigorous scientific research and repeated clinical validation. Thus, when selecting prescriptions from this series, practitioners must adhere to the fundamental theories of traditional Chinese medicine and apply them flexibly based on syndrome differentiation. Patients, in particular, should use these prescriptions under the guidance of experienced physicians and never experiment blindly without understanding medical principles. Otherwise, blindly following prescriptions without proper judgment is like forcing a foot into a shoe—ineffective and potentially dangerous.
China is vast and rich in history, with a diverse range of traditional Chinese herbal medicines. Social development and regional differences have led to variations in the names of medicinal herbs, including official names, aliases, and colloquial terms. Some herbal names are no longer in use today and are not clearly recorded in pharmacopoeias. Additionally, differences in ancient and modern measurement systems result in varying dosages for certain herbs across historical periods. Practitioners must adjust dosages based on current standards and avoid rigid adherence to ancient prescriptions.
Currently, the publishing house is systematically compiling and publishing "A Series of Rare Medical Manuscripts" and has reorganized the editorial team to ensure the smooth progress of rescuing rare and valuable ancient Chinese medical texts, thereby contributing more to the revitalization of traditional Chinese medicine and the well-being of humanity.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Publishing House
1989 (Fragment): Preface to the "Complete Work on Meridians"
The art of medicine values profound insight into the organs, not just through divine inspiration like Bian Que. The works of Xu and Qi were meant to teach such insight, yet later generations overlooked them, sparing many from harm. Fortunately, Mr. Shen Cheng compiled "Regional Meridians," allowing us to understand the organs! However, this book, now nearly two centuries old, has not been fully preserved. Though some have benefited from its handwritten copies, its widespread dissemination remains limited. Thus, we cannot help but publish it.
Mr. Shen’s work has been corrected by Mr. Bo Lu, who found it overly verbose and made revisions. Upon receiving this compilation, I was delighted to study it day and night, realizing its incompleteness. I took the liberty of adding corrections, revising it three times. To my surprise, in the winter of , I heard of a recluse named Wu Jun in the western suburbs. I sought his guidance and found his annotations to my revisions: "Is this not Shen’s original work?" He then showed me revisions by his relative Gu Jun. I was greatly impressed by how he had anticipated my thoughts, yet I was even more delighted! Using his additions and expanding on the missing parts, correcting errors, and refining redundancies, I hope to present a "Complete Work," an enduring classic.
After Bo Lu’s revisions, I added "Essentials of Meridians," naming it "Complete Work on Meridians," which seems nearly perfect! Yet, I have added detailed notes to all organs, meridians, and muscles, avoiding repetition to ensure no reader is left unsatisfied.
The obscurity of pulse diagnosis extends beyond Gao Yangsheng. In this compilation, I have corrected errors where necessary, leaving them for discerning readers to judge.
The study of medicine is rarely pursued by scholars, leading to errors like "." I have rectified them here. Though I lack time for phonetic annotations, I have marked unclear phrases at the bottom of the sentences and rare characters at the margins of the text, hoping to eliminate any reading difficulties.