Newly Annotated Medical Books by Chen Xiuyuan. Issue 3

Author: Chen Nianzu (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: This issue includes newly annotated editions of five medical books by Chen Xiuyuan: Medical Essentials Really Easy, Medical Records from the Crowd, Miraculous Uses of Contemporary Formulas, Annotations to the Ten Medicinal Books, and Jing Yue's New Formulas in Eight Arrays. Medical Essentials Really Easy is Chen's posthumous manuscript, later compiled and published by his son Sun Xinlan and Xin Dian, and released in the 24th year of the Daoguang era in the Qing Dynasty. The book consists of 8 volumes: Volume 1 covers basic theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine, detailing the functions of organs and meridians, compiling the principles of the four diagnostic methods, and including diagrams of the Five Elements theory; Volumes 2 to 4 discuss patterns of exterior, interior, cold, heat, deficiency, and excess; Volumes 5 to 7 list commonly used formulas for each pattern; Volume 8 contains supplementary and miscellaneous formulas, as well as methods for treating gynecological conditions such as menstruation, leucorrhea, pregnancy, and childbirth. It reflects Chen's extensive collection of classical and modern medical wisdom. Medical Records from the Crowd consists of 8 volumes and 40 chapters, published in the 25th year of the Daoguang era. The book discusses the diagnosis and treatment of common internal medicine conditions and gynecological disorders, serving as a valuable reference for beginners in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Miraculous Uses of Contemporary Formulas was written by Chen to alleviate disasters and epidemics and to address the suffering of the people, published in the 8th year of the Jiaqing era in the Qing Dynasty. The book has 4 volumes, beginning with the essentials of the four diagnostic methods—inspection, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation—then integrating the experiences of medical masters and individuals, providing further elaboration on the pathogenesis, symptoms, and treatment methods for 42 common diseases. The content is concise and practical, making it another outstanding work by Chen following Songs of Contemporary Formulas. Annotations to the Ten Medicinal Books is Chen's interpretation of the Ten Medicinal Books by the Yuan Dynasty medical master Ge Kegiu. Jing Yue's New Formulas in Eight Arrays is one of Chen's works. The book was completed in the 7th year of the Jiaqing era in the Qing Dynasty. It consists of 4 volumes, divided into 8 arrays—supplement, harmonize, attack, disperse, cold, heat, consolidate, and resolve—with a total of 286 formulas. It evaluates Jing Yue's new formulas, praising some while criticizing others.