Chinese Medical Great Works (2): Trauma and Golden Cabinet Volume

Author: Yang Jinping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-08-01
Features: The compilation of The Great Compendium of Chinese Medicine was highly esteemed by the Chinese medical community at the time, regarded as a "treasure for longevity and a grand panorama of medicine." The original work consisted of 365 books, divided into 13 categories: Medical Classics, Materia Medica, Diagnosis, Formulas, General Treatment, External Diseases, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical Records, Smallpox and Measles, Tuina (Chinese Massage), and Miscellaneous Diseases. Each book included a preface summarizing its origin and key content, while each category was arranged in chronological order for (research and verification). Unfortunately, the publication was interrupted halfway due to the Japanese invasion, and only 136 books were completed. In 1990, Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers and Yue Lu Book Society both published facsimile editions of the books compiled by Cao. Later, Yue Lu Book Society also published a supplementary volume, slightly adjusting and adding to the unprinted medical books listed by Cao, completing the great work left unfinished by him. The compilation of The Great Compendium of Chinese Medicine made significant contributions to the development of Chinese medicine. First, it organized and preserved a vast number of classic medical texts. The work collected over 10,000 rare, unique, and copied books from the Qin and Han dynasties to the late Qing dynasty, gathered renowned scholars to meticulously edit and annotate them, and selected 365 outstanding works. The selected books were the essence of medical literature, such as Collected Annotations to the Plain Questions of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon and Collected Annotations to the Spiritual Pivot of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon in the Medical Classics category; Shen Nong's Herbal Classic, Annotations to the Extended Meanings of Materia Medica, and Lei Gong's Explanations of Pharmaceutical Properties in the Materia Medica category; The Pearl of Treaties on Cold Damage, Supplementary Examples on Cold Damage, The Collection of Cold Damage Treatises, and Essential Annotations to the Essentials from the Golden Cabinet in the Cold Damage and Golden Cabinet category; The Source of Heat and Warmth and Treatise on Pestilence in the Warm Disease category; The Heart of Medical Understanding, Zhou Shen Zhai's Medical Works, and On the Origin of Medicine in the General Treatment category; Liu Zhou's Medical Notes and Wu Ju Tong's Medical Records in the Medical Case and Medical Discourse category; as well as important books on clinical specialties, physiology, pathology, and diagnosis. Second, it systematically improved the theoretical system of Chinese medicine. Cao categorized the selected medical texts into 13 categories, arranging each category in chronological order. Each book was preceded by a preface summarizing its key points, ensuring that despite the vast scope of the work, it remained clear, systematic, and coherent. Reading one book allowed access to the medical theories of past dynasties, while exploring one category provided a comprehensive understanding of various schools of thought. The essence of Chinese medical theory is fully contained in this work. Third, it popularized and promoted the academic theories of Chinese medicine. At the time, the abolition of Chinese medicine was underway, and the field was in decline. The publication of this book served as a stimulant, revitalizing the entire Chinese medical community and leaving everyone in awe. Moreover, it made significant contributions to improving the overall quality of Chinese medicine and ensuring its resilience. For those practicing medicine, extensive reading and access to books are essential to elucidate medical techniques. Without refined medical skills, how can one achieve success in healing? However, from the Qin and Han dynasties to the present, there are over 10,000 medical books. Even a lifetime of study may not suffice to master them, let alone the poor-quality and inaccurately annotated books commonly purchased by the general public, which are riddled with errors. How can one master medical theory with such resources? The publication of this book served as a standard for medical practitioners and the law of the medical profession, earning it the title of a "treasure for longevity and a grand panorama of medicine." And this remains just as true today!