Collection of Famous Doctors Throughout History

Author: Wang Qingfu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-05-01
Features: The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Physicians in eight volumes was compiled by the renowned Qing Dynasty physician Luo Mei. Luo Mei, styled Tansheng, alias Dongyi, was from Xin'an (now the Huizhou region of Anhui Province) and lived long in Yushan (now Changshu in Jiangsu Province). He was a celebrated Confucian scholar during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1662–1722) and also skilled in the art of medicine. In his later years, he dedicated himself to practicing medicine to help others. Luo Mei was well-versed in classics and history, deeply researched in medicine, and had a profound understanding of the I Ching. He also delved into ancient Chinese calligraphy. He wrote extensively, apart from The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Physicians, there were also The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Medical Formulas in four volumes, collecting effective formulas from predecessors and his own 130+ formulations, with commentaries by famous physicians of the Ming and Qing dynasties appended to each formula. The Broad Discourses on the Neijing in four volumes is divided into six parts: Heaven's Way, Humanity's Way, Pulse Methods, Acupuncture, Conditions of Illness, and Descriptions of Illness, explaining the essence of the Neijing. The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Physicians was completed in the 14th year of the Kangxi era (1675). Originally, it was combined with The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Medical Formulas as a 12-volume work titled The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Bright Physicians' Classics and Treatments. Due to the large volume, the printing costs were high, so the formula part was first published as The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Medical Formulas. After its publication, it became extremely popular and was reprinted multiple times. Later, Wu Qian revised and edited it, incorporating it into The Golden Mirror of Medicine. As for The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Physicians, it was only published in the 6th year of the Jiaqing era (1801) when Xu Wenming negotiated with Tao's Baoyuntang to carve the plates and print it, allowing it to circulate. This was 126 years after the author's death. The Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Physicians selects and compiles the essence of medical theories and diagnostic and treatment experiences from famous physicians from the Han Dynasty to the early periods of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, categorizing them into three major parts: the Collection of Discourses, the Collection of Pulse Methods, and the Collection of Conditions of Illness. This book extensively gathers and selects the finest works, earning high praise from later generations. For example, The Catalogue of Valued Medical Books states: "In discussing diseases and differential diagnosis, this book extracts the essence of famous physicians from all dynasties, compiles it into one volume, and is concise and appropriate, truly a guide for future learners." It is also as the preface of the book says, "It collects the profound insights of predecessors, pure and unswayed by eccentricity, and only those with both insight and vision could achieve such perfection." What is even more valuable is that from an academic perspective, Luo Dongyi originally followed the Wenchong theory of Xue Yi and Zhang Jingyue, but he did not adhere to factionalism and extensively included the discussions of Liu Hejian and Zhu Danxi, who advocated for the theory of cooling and nourishing yin. For physicians with truly unique insights, even if their fame was not widespread, their views were still given due respect. For example, the insightful and innovative ideas of He Baizhai, Zhao Yu Huang, Wang Zhongyang, Han Feixia, and Xu Shugong were preserved and disseminated through this book. In summary, "choosing the good and following it, cutting to length and filling gaps, verifying facts and following names, without belittling each other, regardless of faction" (The Combined Publication of the Compendium of Ancient and Modern Famous Medical Formulas by Qian Rongguang), the editorial principle of the compiler Luo Dongyi was indeed brilliant.