A Study on the Medical Affairs of Characters in Dream of the Red Chamber: Damage to the spine or cover

Author: Chen Cunren, Song Qi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: A collaboration between a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and a redologist, exploring alternative perspectives on the characters of Dream of the Red Chamber! This book discusses the characters of Dream of the Red Chamber from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, featuring well-known figures such as Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Wang Xifeng, Xue Baochai, Jia Rui, Qingwen, and others. The book is divided into ten chapters, with each major character having its own dedicated section, supplemented by line drawings, making it a visually engaging read perfect for leisure time. It is an unconventional yet insightful read about the characters of Dream of the Red Chamber.
The author, the famous traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Chen Cunshuo, states: "From the perspective of a doctor, I must say that the many descriptions of the illnesses of men and women in his book, from the onset of the disease to the end of life, are so vividly portrayed that without some understanding of medical principles, how could he have written so convincingly? Moreover, a few of them are described in great detail, especially the process of death, as if witnessed by a medical practitioner. Therefore, I say that Cao Xueqin’s talent was not limited to writing Dream of the Red Chamber; he also had considerable skill in observing medical theories, understanding symptoms, and organizing prescriptions."
Another author, the renowned translator and redologist Song Qi, comments: "He devoted much effort to describing the illnesses, causes, progress, and treatment of the main characters in the book using different techniques. Especially in the first eighty chapters, some characters are described directly, such as Baochai, Jia Rui, Qin Keqing, and You Erji; others are gradually revealed, like Qingwen, Wang Xifeng, and Lin Daiyu; some have prescriptions, while others only have symptoms, varying in complexity, all in line with Cao Xueqin’s principle of avoiding repetitive language."
The book is divided into ten chapters, with each major character having its own dedicated section, supplemented by line drawings, making it a visually engaging read perfect for leisure time. It is an unconventional yet insightful read about the characters of Dream of the Red Chamber.
[Song’s Interpretation] The illness and death of Qin Keqing are one of the greatest mysteries in Dream of the Red Chamber. The author writes it with meticulous care from beginning to end, yet he begins with a seemingly trivial subplot involving a minor character, much like the way Lao Zixing describes the Rongguo Mansion or Lao Laoer’s first visit to the Rongguo Mansion. On the surface, it appears casual, but in reality, it uses the perspective of a third party to describe the main characters and scenes, a unique technique that surprises and delights the reader, making it feel both realistic and intimate.
The story begins with Jin Rong studying at a private school, where he argues with Qin Zhong over a romantic rivalry and is bullied and beaten by Baoyu’s attendant, Mingsyan, among others. Eventually, he is forced to kowtow to Qin Zhong to apologize, filled with grievances. Upon returning home, he vents his frustrations to his mother. His mother is a widow, and her daughter-in-law is the wife of Jia Guan (a distant relative of the jade generation in the Rong and Ning houses). The next day, when the head lady of the Guan family visits her, she naturally brings up the matter. Enraged upon hearing it, the head lady volunteers to go to the Ning Mansion to mediate, believing that since Qin Zhong and Jin Rong are both distant relatives of the Jia family, they should not be treated unfairly. There, she meets You Shi and casually asks why she hasn’t seen Rong’s mother. Unbeknownst to her, this triggers a long monologue from You Shi:
You Shi says, "These days, she hasn’t had her period for over two months. The doctors have examined her, but it’s not pregnancy. The past two days, she has been lazy to move in the afternoons, reluctant to speak, and her eyes have been dizzy. I told her, ‘You don’t need to follow the etiquette; you don’t have to come up at regular times. Just rest well. If any relatives come, I’ll be there. If the elders complain, I’ll explain for you.’ I even asked Rong to take good care of her. I said, ‘You mustn’t exhaust her or make her angry; just let her rest quietly. If she wants anything to eat, just come to me. If I don’t have it, go to your second auntie. If anything happens to her, you’ll never find another wife like her—so beautiful, so kind-hearted. Even with a lantern, you won’t find anyone.’ Her personality and behavior—how could any relative or elder not like her? So, these past two days, I’ve been so anxious, I can’t stand it. But today, her brother came to see her, and the child, unknowingly, saw that her sister wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t tell her about any trouble, but even the slightest thing—let alone this—shouldn’t be told to her. But yesterday, they fought in the study and were bullied by someone from another school. Some impure words were also told to her sister. You know that wife of yours: though she smiles and chats with people, she is meticulous and deeply thoughtful. Whatever she hears, she needs three days to process it. This illness stems from her nature—overthinking. Today, when she heard someone had bullied her brother, she was both angry and upset. Angry at those shameless friends who spread rumors and gossiped; upset that her brother didn’t study diligently, leading to this chaos. Upon hearing this, she didn’t even eat breakfast today. When I heard, I comforted her for a while and persuaded her brother. I sent her brother to the other mansion to find Baoyu, and only then did I see her drink half a cup of bird’s nest soup before coming over. You see, how anxious can I be? Moreover, there are no good doctors available now, I