Commentary on the Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases (Volume 2)

Author: Ding Guangdi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-10-01
Features: The Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases was compiled by Chao Yuanyang and others during the Sui Dynasty and completed in the sixth year of the Daye era. The book consists of fifty volumes, divided into sixty-seven sections, and contains one thousand seven hundred thirty-nine discussions. It is the first specialized book in the history of Chinese medicine focusing on etiology, pathology, and symptomology. The entire work summarizes various diseases affecting the body, including internal, external, gynecological, pediatric, and ophthalmological conditions, making it a comprehensive collection of diseases with a vast scope and numerous descriptions, marking a milestone in medical history. It is celebrated alongside The Inner Canon and The Difficult Issues and is listed as one of the "Seven Classics." Due to its ancient origins and archaic language, as well as the inevitable errors introduced through multiple editions, studying it has been challenging. Therefore, it has been systematically organized, researched, and published as The Revised Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases with Annotations, edited by Professor Ding Guangdi of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This book preserves the original text of The General Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases for reference and follows a modern template. Another distinctive feature is its comprehensive research and organization, including summaries, original text, annotations, and remarks. Each section begins with a "summary" that concisely outlines the key content, enabling readers to grasp the essence at a glance. The "annotations" include both collation and explanations, correcting errors such as omissions, repetitions, inversions, misplaced passages, and ambiguities, all with solid evidence. They also clarify difficult or obscure words and phrases in the original text, providing pronunciations, definitions, and contextual examples. The "remarks" reflect the compilers' insights gained from years of studying The Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases. They may highlight key points, offer interpretations of profound or complex passages, draw connections between different sections, apply ancient knowledge to modern practice, or critique the strengths and weaknesses of the text. The third feature is the detailed annotations on the health-preserving and exercise-related content, which provide practical guidance for readers. At the end of the book, there is a postscript on annotations, a crystallization of the compilers' research on The Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases, holding significant academic value. The book is published in two volumes. The first volume covers from the first section of Diseases of Wind to the last section of Diseases of Poison in the twenty-sixth volume, totaling seven hundred seventy-one symptoms. The second volume begins with the first section of Diseases of Blood in the twenty-seventh volume and ends with the last section of Miscellaneous Pediatric Diseases in the fiftieth volume, totaling nine hundred sixty-eight symptoms.