Table of Contents
- Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
- The Classic of Difficult Issues (The Classic of Difficulties)
- The Classic of Herbal Medicine
- Compendium of Materia Medica
- Essential Formulas for Emergencies [Worth] a Thousand Pieces of Gold
- (Essential) Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet
- Huangdi Neijing Suwen: Again Broadly Corrected
- Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor
- Master Hua's Classic of the Central Viscera
- The Pulse Classic
- Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases/Disorders
Huangdi Neijing Suwen: Again Broadly Corrected
Chinese: 重廣補註黃帝內經素問
Pinyin: Chong Guang Bu Zhu Huangdi Neijing Suwen
Date of Composition: (beginning in 1053 CE)
Summary
Eleventh century annotation/revision considered to be the authoritative version of the Inner Cannon of the Yellow Emperor today.Related Texts
Inner Cannon of the Yellow Emperor
Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor
Chinese: 黄帝内经
Pinyin: Huángdì Nèijīng
Date of Composition: between the late Warring States period (475-221 BC) and the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE)
Alternate Titles
Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor
Summary
Widely considered the foundational Chinese medical text, the Inner Cannon of the Yellow Emperor lays the theoretical framework for Chinese medicinal practices and acupuncture. The text is split into two volumes. Each volume consists of 81 chapters/treatises in a Q/A style between the Yellow Emperor and his ministers. The first text is the Suwen (素問) covers the theoretical basis of Chinese medicine. The second text Lingshu (靈樞; Spiritual Pivot), covers acupuncture.Related Texts
Chong Guang Bu Zhu Huangdi Neijing Suwen (commentary)
Link to Chinese Text
Related Catalog Materials
Xin and Shen as Elucidated in the Huangdi Neijing
The Clinical Relevance of Classical Chinese Medicine: A Field Guide to the Huangdi Neijing Suwen
The Classic of Herbal Medicine
Chinese:
神农本草经
Pinyin: Shénnóng Běncǎo Jīng
Date of Composition: between about 200 and 250 CE
Alternate Titles
Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica
Shennong's Herbal
Summary
The Classic of Herbal Medicine features drawings and written descriptions of 365 medicinal substances. The work is divided into three volumes. The first volume features 120 herbs considered "noble" or "upper herbs" that are harmless to humans. The next volume features 120 herbs known as "middle herbs" that are or can be toxic but can be used to treat the sick. The last volume features 125 herb referred to as "low herbs" which are often poisonous.
Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases /Disorders
Chinese: 伤寒论
Pinyin: Shānghán Lùn
Date of Composition: before 220 AD
Alternate Titles
Treatise on Cold Injury
Summary
Medical treatise detailing varieants and complications related to the common cold. The Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases is split into 6 parts related to the stages of the disease.
Related Catalog Materials
Video: The Preface of the ShangHan Lun
Video: Clinical Applicationof Herbal Formulas from Shang Han Lun
(Essential) Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet
Chinese: 金匮要略
Pinyin: Jīnguì Yàolüè
Date of Composition: written by Zhang Zhongjing (150-219 AD)
Alternate Titles
Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber
Summary
The Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber details the diagnosis and treatment of mirad diseases. The text is broken into 3 volumes. The first discusses the common cold, the second illnesses, and the third prescibes treatments for the aforementioned sicknesses.
Related Texts
Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber with 300 Cases
Compendium of Materia Medica
Chinese: 本草纲目
Pinyin: Běncǎo Gāngmù
Date of Composition: written by Li Shizhen (1518–1593 AD)
Alternate Titles
Bencao Gangmuor Pen-tsao Kang-mu (romanized titles in pinyin and Wade-Giles respectively)
Summary
The Compendium of Materia Medica is an encyclopedia of minerals, plants, and animal substances thought to have medicinal properties. In total the compendium lists 1,892 entries over 53 volumes.
Essential Formulas for Emergencies [Worth] a Thousand Pieces of Gold
Chinese: 备急千金要方
Pinyin: Beiji Qian Jin Yao Fang
Summary
A Tang Dynasty summarization of pre-Tang medicinal practices. The text offers 5,300 prescriptions for herbal medicine.Related Texts
Qian Jin Yi Fang (Supplementary text by the same author)
The Classic of Difficult Issues (The Classic of Difficulties)
Chinese: 黃帝八十一難經 (or 難經)
Pinyin: Huangdi Bashiyi Nanjing (or Nanjing)
Date of Composition:
Alternate Titles
The Yellow Emperor's Canon of 81 Difficult IssuesNanjing, The Difficult Classic, Explained in 81 Pictures
Summary
More than just an explanation or commentary on the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor the Nanjing further illuminates the theoretical framework of Chinese medicine. Covering the Five Phases, yinyang as well as discussing acupuncture and pulse diagnosis.Related Texts
難經古義 Interpreting the ancient classic text, Nanjing
Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Chinese: 针灸甲乙经
Pinyin: Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing
Date of Composition: written by Huang Fumi in 259Alternate Titles
Summary
This text combines acupuncture, moxibustion, and acupoint theory. The text details the various preventitive and reactionary uses for acupuncture; types of needles; locations or points etc. Additionally it includes 649 acupuncture points.
Master Hua's Classic of the Central Viscera
Chinese: 中藏经
Pinyin: Zhong Zang Jing
Date of Composition: written by Hua Tuo in the Late Han (206 BC – 220 AD)
Alternate Titles
Chinese- Tibetan ClassicSummary
The text is divided into 3 parts, the Classic of Central Viscera organizes early ideas on the internal organs and links pulse theory with the diagnosis of disease. The text offers various prescriptions toward the treatment of various diseases related to the viscera.
The Pulse Classic
Chinese: 脉经
Pinyin: Mai Jing
Date of Composition: written by Wang Shuhe in the Late Han (206 BC – 220 AD)
Summary
The Pulse Classic is one of the earliest Chinese texts on pulse theory and is entirely devoted to pulse diagnosis. The text is divided into 10 parts which include (but are not limited to) the taking of the pulse, diagnosis of diseases from the pulse, and pulse work in conjunction with acupuncture.
Links to English Translations
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