Dietary Therapy for Illness

Author: Zhang Mu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-05-01
Features: Diao Ji Yin Shi Bian, also known as Yin Shi Bian Lu, abbreviated as Yin Shi Bian or Shi Wu Bian, is a medicinal and dietary therapy book specializing in the discussion of food and its medicinal properties. The author, Zhang Mu, styled Yuan Shen, later styled Xing Yun Laoren, was from Poyang, Jiangxi (now Boyang County, Jiangxi Province). His birth and death years are unknown. According to the book Diao Ji Yin Shi Bian, it was completed in the 18th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1813). Based on the author's self-description in the chapter Shu Yi, he had "over fifty years of experience in treating diseases." Additionally, the Poyang County Records of the Tongzhi decade mentioned that Zhang Mu was "over seventy years old when he suddenly passed away." Estimating his age at twenty when he began practicing medicine, the author was likely born around 1743 during the early years of the Qianlong reign and died after 1813.
Zhang Mu was a diligent and thoughtful scholar with extensive knowledge and a strong memory. He stated, "From youth to middle age to old age, I never ceased my studies." He devoted himself to meticulous research, striving to understand the subtleties and apply his knowledge practically. He once remarked, "In my life, I have a strong inclination for reading, especially in the fields of mathematics and traditional Chinese medicine (Qi Huang)," as noted in the chapter Pear Juice of Diao Ji Yin Shi Bian.
Zhang Mu was not only a well-read scholar but also an accomplished physician known for treating rare illnesses. When faced with urgent cases, he would "break through his clothes and travel without hesitation," saving countless lives with his skills. He was regarded as a "living Buddha" by those who witnessed his work, as mentioned in the preface by Cao Jian in Diao Ji Yin Shi Bian. He was a physician with both deep knowledge and practical experience.
In addition to Diao Ji Yin Shi Bian, he wrote other works such as Si Zhen Shu Gu, Shang Han Ze Li, and Yi Jia San Fa, as well as numerous drafts on calendars and mathematics. Diao Ji Yin Shi Bian was a late work in his life, summarizing his rich clinical experience and extensive literary knowledge. The author placed great importance on the relationship between diet, health, and disease treatment, believing that "proper diet can aid medicine, while improper diet can oppose it." With over fifty years of experience, he observed that "fifteen cases were misdiagnosed by medicine, and fifteen were misdiagnosed by diet." Deeply troubled by this, he also noted that "with so many food items, it is difficult to study them comprehensively." Although many medical books had discussed this topic, few were excellent. Thus, he dedicated himself to writing, revising the manuscript multiple times over years of hardship, and finally completed Diao Ji Yin Shi Bian.
The book consists of six volumes (Volumes 1 and 6 are divided into upper and lower parts), divided into six categories: General (including water, fire, oil, and substitutes for tea), Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Birds and Animals, and Fish and Insects. It includes over 600 medicinal foods. "Every essence of the five elements and every detail of drink and food" was meticulously collected. "From the highest celestial observations to the study of plants, insects, fish, and mountain and sea delicacies," this monumental work stands as a grand panorama of food and medicinal herbs.
The book adopts a concise and critical review approach, extensively citing Ben Cao Gang Mu by Li Shizhen, providing a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the names, etymology, origins, properties, functions, and contraindications of medicinal foods. Particularly in the critical review sections, there are many insightful observations and unique perspectives. For errors in previous understandings, he used historical evidence to correct them and expose flaws. He either relied on field observations, clinical practices, or extensively quoted the arguments of physicians, or referenced classics, histories, philosophy, literature, and even folk tales and encyclopedias. His arguments were layered, clear in both language and logic. The precision of his critical reviews shows his rigorous scholarship and provides inspiration for future generations.
The review sections are indeed the essence of the book. Each medicinal food is accompanied by medical formulas, all selected for being "extremely stable and highly effective" for convenient reference. At the end of the volume, following the style of Ben Cao Wan Zhen Zhuan, it includes a supplementary volume titled Zhu Fang Zhuan Xian, which serves as an index of formulas organized by symptoms.