Cao Cangzhou Medical Records

Author: [Qing] Cao Cangzhou
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: "Annotations on Cao Cangzhou's Medical Cases"
"Cao Cangzhou's Medical Cases" was compiled by Cao Cangzhou of the Qing Dynasty and published in the Guangxu Dingwei year (1907). It is the authentic clinical records of medical cases written by the author during his practice. The book was completed in the Guangxu Dingwei year (1907), and the manuscript copy preserved in the Library of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine was personally copied by his disciple, Liu Jianan of Wuxi. The content is complete, the handwriting is neat, and the book is stamped with Liu Jianan's seal in front. Since its compilation, this book has never been published and is little known in the medical community. The literature recording this book includes "The Medical Experiences of the Three Generations of the Cao Family of Wu Gate," which includes only a small portion of medical cases from this book but lacks any publication records. Upon reviewing the existing catalogs of various specialized Chinese medical books, no records were found, indicating that this manuscript is a unique copy in China.
The author, Cao Cangzhou (1849–1931), styled Yuanquan, styled Zhihan, late styled Lansnow Elder, and also styled Lansou, was from Wu County, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. In the Guangxu Guangxi year (1898), when the emperor fell ill, a decree was issued to recruit famous physicians, and Nanjing Military Governor recommended him and Chen Lianfang to enter the capital to treat the illness. He became an imperial physician and achieved effective results, thereby gaining even greater reputation. After returning to Suzhou, he was engaged in busy medical practice day and night. In the Guangxu Dingwei year (1907), he was recommended again by the famous physician Chen Lianfang of Qingpu to enter the capital to treat the emperor's illness. The following year, he returned due to illness and declined further medical practice, spending his remaining years in tranquility. He passed away in 1931 at the age of 82. His great-grandfather, Jintang, grandfather Yunzhou, and father Chengzhou were all renowned for internal and surgical medicine and were celebrated in the world. They lived in Suzhou's Changmen West Street. The family had long been distinguished, but he alone held high ideals, refusing to serve the imperial court and dedicating himself to healing the sick. His studies traced back to the classics of Ling and Su and Zhang Zhongjing, and he followed the methods of Yu Chang, Ye Zexi, and Xue. He inherited the family's medical traditions, and his skills became even more refined.
Cao Cangzhou was diligent and eager to learn, specializing in internal and surgical medicine, particularly internal medicine. He treated various internal and external conditions with remarkable success. His prescriptions were clever and flexible, without rigid adherence to any single method. For febrile diseases, he often followed Ye Tianshi and Wu Jutong, emphasizing the rescue and protection of yin, strengthening the root, and expelling pathogens. In the early stages of febrile diseases, he used methods to dispel external pathogens, ventilate the lungs and stomach, and regulate the middle palace. His syndrome differentiation was meticulous, and his treatment plans were strict, ensuring clear differentiation of syndromes and precise prescription. In the later stages of febrile diseases, when yin was depleted and heat sank, he focused on expelling pathogens and draining heat, supplemented by nourishing yin and strengthening the body. For long-term conditions, he prioritized strengthening stomach qi. In treating ascites, he believed that in addition to replenishing the lungs, nourishing the metal of the lungs was necessary to control the root, preventing harm to the earth of the spleen. Simply attacking and draining was not only ineffective but harmful. In treating external diseases, he believed that external manifestations were rooted in internal imbalances, requiring the examination of yin and yang and the differentiation of deficiency and excess, followed by cold-warm tonification and draining methods. He also had unique experiences in treating carbuncle and sore throat.
During his lifetime, he had no time for writing, and his nephew Tieyin recorded his oral teachings. His posthumous works include "Emergency Treatments for Cholera" and two volumes of "Cao Cangzhou's Medical Cases," but these only selected important parts and did not reflect the full scope of his work. There are also several other medical case collections of Cao's, such as "An Effective and Harmless Method for Quitting Smoking," as well as hand-corrected medical books like "Compendium of the Classics of Ling and Su," "Ling's Treatise on Febrile Diseases," Xu Lingtai's "Medical Cases of Huixi," and Gao Jinting's "Collected Works on External Diseases."
The complete "Cao Cangzhou's Medical Cases" is not divided into volumes, with approximately 350,000 words. The text is without punctuation, and the first part is the imperial case, followed by 21 categories of clinical cases: wind-febrile diseases, damp-heat febrile diseases, cough, hemoptysis, fluid retention, dysphagia, smallpox, liver-spleen conditions, edema, dysentery, malaria, stranguria, hernia, gynecological conditions, throat diseases, carbuncle, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, stomatology, pediatric diseases, general external diseases, and miscellaneous cases. Each case is written in elegant calligraphy, with detailed and complete records of the conditions, making it a fine manuscript. It is currently an invaluable clinical experience book with high academic and clinical reference value.
To ensure the book's timely publication and prevent it from being lost, it has been carefully annotated and compiled for publication. The publication of this medical case book is not only a major event for the Chinese medicine community but also a significant event in the history of Chinese medicine. As an experience book with high clinical reference value, its publication after more than 100 years of vicissitudes can be said to have filled the gap in history and fulfilled the author's heart and aspirations. At the same time, it holds great significance for promoting the development of Chinese medicine.
The annotation and collation of this book were based on the authentic handwritten manuscript preserved by Liu Jianan of Wuxi during the Republic of China period (now stored in the Library of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine). The content was annotated and punctuated while striving to preserve the original form. Difficult, obscure, or confusing phrases and medical principles were annotated in detail. To avoid altering the original text, no changes were made to the original prescriptions without dosages, the dialect used in describing symptoms, or the composition of formulas differing from modern medicines. Duplicate cases and the order of first and second consultations were revised and adjusted as appropriate. The original book used traditional characters, but for the convenience of readers, simplified characters are now used throughout. The text is written to be clear and logical, with medical principles fully explained, making it easy to read, understand, master, and apply.
During the annotation process, I was fortunate to receive the guidance of my mentor, Professor Meng Jingshun, who reviewed and supervised the work, ensuring its completion. I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to Librarian Ji Wenhui and Teacher Gu Ningyi for their invaluable advice and strong support.
Liu Xuehua
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
2004, Jinling Stone City
This book is a genuine clinical record of medical cases written by Cao Cangzhou, a famous physician of the Jiangnan region during the Guangxu Dingwei period of the Qing Dynasty. It is a handwritten manuscript preserved by his disciple, Liu Jianan of Wuxi, with complete content and a seal of Liu Jianan at the beginning. It is a unique manuscript in China. Cao Cangzhou was diligent and eager to learn, specializing in internal and surgical medicine, particularly internal medicine, with remarkable success in treating various conditions. The book begins with the imperial case, followed by 21 categories of clinical cases: wind-febrile diseases, damp-heat febrile diseases, cough, hemoptysis, fluid retention, dysphagia, smallpox, liver-spleen conditions, edema, dysentery, malaria, stranguria, hernia, gynecological conditions, throat diseases, carbuncle, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, stomatology, pediatric diseases, general external diseases, and miscellaneous cases. Each case is written in elegant calligraphy with detailed and complete records of the conditions, making it a fine manuscript. It is currently an invaluable clinical experience book with high academic and clinical reference value, suitable for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, researchers, and clinical practitioners of Chinese medicine and integrated Chinese and Western medicine.