Medical Six Essentials

Author: Zhang Sansi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This book is a comprehensive medical work compiled by the Ming Dynasty medical scholar Zhang Sansi. Zhang was well-versed in various books and proficient in medical theory. He believed that the essence of medicine consists of six aspects: diagnosis, meridians, pathogenesis, drug properties, treatment methods, and the Five Elements theory. Therefore, he collected relevant content from classic medical works such as the Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), the Nanjing (Essentials from the Difficult Questions), and the Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage) throughout history and compiled them into a book in the 30th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1609). Because the content covers six aspects, it is called Liuyao (The Six Essentials). The book includes four volumes on diagnostic methods, one volume on meridians, two volumes on pathogenesis, six volumes on selected herbs, eight volumes on treatment methods, and one volume on the Five Elements theory, totaling 19 volumes. The subjects and diseases discussed are extensive. For each disease, the compiler provides an overview, first clarifying their own views and then listing the opinions of medical scholars throughout history. The book is rich in information and well-organized, featuring the characteristics of being extensive yet not scattered, detailed yet concise. This book is extremely rare in transmission, and all existing copies are unorganized original versions. This edition includes a comprehensive (organization) based on careful textual research, precise collation, and modern punctuation, making the book highly practical and valuable in terms of literature. It is an indispensable reference for clinical practitioners.