Wu Zhiwang's Complete Medical Collection

Author: Su Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-08-01
Features: Synopsis
The Wu Zhiwang Medical Collection includes three extant medical works by Wu Zhiwang: Jiyin Gangmu (Essentials of Gynecology), Jiyang Gangmu (Essentials of Male Medicine), and Zhengke Lebian (Compendium of Measles). The collection comprises over 110 volumes.
Wu Zhiwang, styled Shuqing and styled Yangyu, was a native of Lintong, Shaanxi Province, during the Ming Dynasty. He was born in 1552 and died in 1629 at the age of 77. From a young age, Wu studied Confucian classics and passed the imperial examination in the 17th year of the Wanli era, serving as a county magistrate, an ordinary magistrate, and later as the chief examiner in the Ministry of Personnel. In his later years, he held the position of Shao Sima (a high-ranking military official) and was appointed to oversee military affairs in the three borders of Shaanxi. He died in office.
Wu Zhiwang was particularly skilled in medicine and often treated patients in his spare time. Not only did he accumulate extensive clinical experience, but he also had profound expertise in medical theory. His work Jiyin Gangmu remains celebrated as a authoritative text in traditional Chinese gynecology to this day. The book elaborates on the diagnosis and treatment of various gynecological conditions, ranging from menstrual regulation and leukorrhea to conception, childbirth, postpartum disorders, and breast diseases.
Jiyang Gangmu is a comprehensive medical work that summarizes the experiences in treating internal and surgical disorders before the Ming Dynasty. It covers the etiology and treatment of 84 internal diseases and 24 surgical and ophthalmological conditions. Zhengke Lebian compiles 24 categories of measles-related diseases and 148 prescriptions, serving as an important reference for studying pediatric medicine in Ming Dynasty traditional Chinese medicine.
In addition to the aforementioned extant medical works by Wu Zhiwang, the Wu Zhiwang Medical Collection also includes a research paper titled "A Study on the Academic Thought of Wu Zhiwang," written by the editor of this collection, spanning tens of thousands of words. This paper serves as an excellent reference for present and future generations to study Wu Zhiwang's medical writings.