Medical Encyclopedia of Yilin Wei

Author: Xu Jingsheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The only surviving work of Wei Yilin, it is titled Shi Yi De Xiao Fang. Shi Yi De Xiao Fang is a renowned medical formula book, first published in 1345 during the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty. Wei Yilin, styled Da Zhai, was a native of Nanfeng, Jiangxi in the Yuan Dynasty. He was born in 1277 and died in 1347. He once served as a professor of medicine in Nanfeng. The Wei family was engaged in medicine across various disciplines for generations, excelling particularly in orthopedics, dermatology, and oral medicine. Feeling that ancient medical formulas were extensive and difficult to retrieve and apply, he compiled this book over ten years using the method of "following ancient formulas while incorporating family traditions," modeled after the thirteen medical categories established in the Yuan Dynasty. The book consists of nineteen main volumes, supplemented by a section on Sun Renzhen (Sun Simiao)’s health-preserving methods, totaling twenty volumes, hence the name Shi Yi De Xiao Fang. This book covers diseases in various departments of traditional Chinese medicine, including internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Under each category, it first discusses the etiology and symptoms, followed by specific syndromes and corresponding formulas, with acupuncture and moxibustion methods appended. Each formula includes indications, composition, usage, and modifications. The content is comprehensive. The book contains over 3,300 medical formulas, preserving many ancient empirical formulas that were on the verge of being lost. It provides detailed discussions on the reduction treatment of fractures and dislocations, preoperative anesthesia, and pioneered the suspension reduction method for treating spinal fractures, making significant contributions to orthopedics. The book also offers profound insights into the treatment of other disciplines, reflecting Wei Yilin’s rich clinical experience and innovative thinking in integrating, comprehending, and adapting ancient formulas. The book is well-organized, comprehensive in its categories, and precise in its discussions, serving as an important formula book that bridges the Tang and Song dynasties with the Ming and Qing dynasties. It still holds significant guiding value for clinical practice today. This edition includes annotations to the original text and an article titled A Study on the Academic Thought of Wei Yilin, which introduces Wei Yilin’s life, academic achievements, and clinical experiences, offering inspiration for future research on his thought. At the end of the book, there is an appendix titled Bibliography of Research Papers on Wei Yilin’s Medicine for reference. This book integrates the preservation of ancient texts with modern research, making it suitable for clinical practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, students and faculty of TCM institutions, and enthusiasts of traditional Chinese medicine.