Flourishing Shadows: Sex in the History of Chinese Medicine (960–1665)

Author: [USA] Fei Xiali
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: This book is a renowned medical anthropology classic in the fields of medical history, anthropology, and sinology. The author, over a span of 20 years, with an extremely rigorous academic attitude, meticulously examined a vast number of traditional Chinese medical classics, case studies, secret prescriptions, and manual-style literature to complete this work, which even general Chinese scholars would find difficult to achieve. Although the author focuses on the 700-year history from the Song to the Ming dynasties, the unique perspective she adopts—starting with the "body of the Yellow Emperor"—allows her to explore the yin-yang and gender aspects of the body. She discovers that Song Dynasty medical gynecology emphasized the principle of "women governing blood as the commander," valuing the treatment of menstrual regulation and the art of single-prescription formulations. Pregnancy and childbirth became the core of obstetric activities in families. After the Ming Dynasty, the focus of gynecology shifted to nourishing yin, with treatment shifting from the external to the internal, emphasizing the replenishment of qi and blood deficiency caused by childbirth. This book does not merely examine the content and history of traditional Chinese medical gynecology from the perspective of general technical history but delves into the social and cultural dimensions, focusing on the cultural roles of ancient Chinese women as a special gender within traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, this book is not a traditional medical history work but rather explores topics related to medical history within the context of society, family, and gender, thereby creating a new style that blends medical history, disease history, and body history.