Great Wall of China (1)

Author: Tian Sisheng
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, 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 explaining its origin and key content, while each category was arranged chronologically to facilitate research. 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 Yuehuashu Press both published facsimile editions of the books compiled by Cao. Later, Yuehuashu Press also published a "Supplement" to the original list, slightly adjusting and adding to the unprinted medical books by Cao, thus completing the unfinished legacy. The compilation of The Great Compendium of Chinese Medicine made significant contributions to the development of Chinese medicine. First, it systematically organized and preserved a vast number of classical Chinese medical texts. The work collected over 10,000 rare and unique manuscripts from the Qin and Han dynasties to the late Qing dynasty, gathered renowned scholars to meticulously edit and annotate, and selected 365 outstanding books. The chosen works represented 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 Annotations on the Properties of Medicinal Substances 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 Diseases and Treatise on Pestilence in the Warm Disease category; Medical Insights, 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 Cases and Medical Discourses category; as well as important books on clinical disciplines, physiology, pathology, and diagnosis. Second, it systematically improved the theoretical system of Chinese medicine. Cao categorized the selected medical texts into 13 categories, arranging them chronologically within each category. Each book was preceded by a preface summarizing its key points, ensuring that despite the vast scope of the work, it remained well-organized and logically coherent. Reading one book provided an overview of medical theories throughout history, while exploring one category revealed the doctrines of various schools, all contained within 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 morale booster, revitalizing the entire Chinese medical community and earning admiration. Moreover, it made significant contributions to improving the overall quality of Chinese medicine, ensuring its resilience. Practitioners of medicine must have extensive knowledge and access to books to elucidate medical techniques. Without refined medical skills, how can one achieve success? From the Qin and Han dynasties to the present, there are over 10,000 medical books. Even if one devoted their entire life to studying them, it would still be insufficient. Furthermore, the medical books purchased by ordinary people are often of poor quality and poorly annotated, riddled with errors—how can one master medical principles? The publication of this work served as a standard for medical practice and the law of the medical profession, earning it the title of "treasure for longevity, a grand panorama of medicine." And this remains just as true today!