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Banner for Classics of Traditional Chinese Medicine from the History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine. An online version of an exhibit held at the NLM, Nationals Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD October 19, 1999-May 30, 2000.

Books on Display

Chinese Medicine in Korea and Japan

Yin and Yang

Emperors and Physicians

Credits

Books on Display

A page that discusses the symptoms of the various diseases mentioned in Su wen (Questions and answers about living matter). Liu, Wan-su, fl. 1186
劉完素
Huang-ti su wen hsuan ming fang lun: Chung k'an Su wen hsuan ming fang lun (An Advanced Book of Su wen with a Supplement of Prescriptions)
黃帝素問宣明論方
Kyoto, 1740. 5 vols.
NLM Call Number: WZ 260 L7895h 1740.

This text discusses the symptoms of the various diseases mentioned in Su wen (Questions and answers about living matter), supplemented with prescriptions. Su wen is one of the two books which make up Huang-ti Nei ching


Kimpi-Yoryaku Kokujikai (The golden chamber of treasures: prescriptions and formularies) by Hisai Chi open to show the title title page and the first page of text.

Chi, Hisai
Kimpi-Yoryaku Kokujikai (The golden chamber of treasures: prescriptions and formularies)
金匱要畧國字解
Edo, 1780.
NLM Call Number: WZ 260 U71k 1780.


A page from Shih-chen Li's Pen ts'ao kang mu divided into three sections. The right section is text which describes the herbs found in the two sections on the left. Li, Shih-chen, 1518-1593
李時珍
Pen ts'ao kang mu: Chiao cheng Pen ts'ao kang mu (The Great Herbal)
本草綱目 / 李時珍東璧編輯 ; 錢蔚起鏡石較訂
Japan, 1672. 36 vols.
NLM Call Number: WZ 250 L692b 1672.


Dark yellow title page from Ang Wang's Shen-nung pen ts'ao pei yao i fang ho pien (Herbal and Prescriptions with text in black script. Ang Wang's Shen-nung pen ts'ao pei yao i fang ho pien (Herbal and Prescriptions open to two pages with images of herbs with the name above it.

Wang, Ang, b. 1615; Hu, Tsung-wen
Shen-nung pen ts'ao pei yao i fang ho pien (Herbal and Prescriptions)
China, 1740. 6 vols.
NLM Call Number: WZ 260 W253s 1740.

The first volume of this work, shown here, includes drawings of herbs, minerals, and animals. The remaining volumes cover pharmacology and the therapeutic uses of the materia medica.


Song dynasty verion of Chang Chung-ching's Shang han lun open to show the title page in a dark blue paper with black script. On the opposite page is the frontispiece in creamy paper with black script.

Chang Chung-ching, fl. 168-196; Wang Shu-ho, 265-316; Lin l, fl. 1068-1078
張仲景
Shang han lun: Chiao cheng Sung pan Shang han lun (Treatise on Colds and Fevers)
校正傷寒論
Nagoya, 1797.
NLM Call Number: WZ 260 Z64k 1797.

This work is a revised Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) version of Chang Chung-ching's Shang han lun.


Title page of Ch'in Chih-chen's Shang han ta pai (Elucidation of Shang han lun).

Ch'in Chih-chen, fl. 1706
Shang han ta pai (Elucidation of Shang han lun)
China, 1714.
NLM Call Number: WZ 260 C534s 1714

This work is a later interpretation of Chang Chung-ching's classic work on the diagnosis and treatment of cold and fever syndromes. The original author's name and the title of the book appear here on the title page.


Table of contents of volume 3 which shows the Chinese medical herb name and the corresponding Japanese page number. Page from Iken Oe's Honzo Wage Yakusei Zuko featuring information and an image of garlic.

Oe, Iken
Honzo Wage Yakusei Zuko (Medical Herbs)
本草和解
Japan, 1697.
NLM Call Number: WZ 250 M267h 1697

A Japanese translation of Shen-nung pen ts'ao (Divine Husbandman's Materia Medica)


Ansei Omura's Geka hitsuyo open to show four illustrations of medical conditions.

Omura, Ansei
大村安成
Geka hitsuyo (Surgery Handbook)
外科秘要
Japan, 1684.
NLM Call Number: WZ 250 O56g 1684


Brown cover of Hua Shou, Jushikyo (The Routes of Fourteen Channels and Their Functions) Kyoto, 1716. An illustration and a description of 20 acupuncture points on the arm that are used to treat colon diseases. It is written in a sonnet style for easier memorization.

Hua Shou, fl. 1360-1370
滑壽
Jushikyo (The Routes of Fourteen Channels and Their Functions)
十四經發揮
Kyoto, 1716.
NLM Call Number: WZ 260 H868s 1716

Shown here is a description of 20 acupuncture points on the arm that are used to treat colon diseases. It is written in a sonnet style for easier memorization.


Two pages show the removal of tumor tissue from a patient's breast (right) and the pathological specimen (left). This manuscript describes the surgical procedures of the Hanaoka school, which used Chinese herbs as a general anesthetic.

Matsuzawa, Kenshia
Kikerabi kiroku (Selected Case Reports of Surgical Operations)
聞選竒錄
Japan, 1818.
NLM Call Number: MS B 683

These pages show the removal of tumor tissue from a patient's breast (right) and the pathological specimen (left). This manuscript describes the surgical procedures of the Hanaoka school, which used Chinese herbs as a general anesthetic.

Seishu Hanaoka (1760-1835), a Japanese pioneer in anesthesia, performed the first breast cancer surgery using herbal general anesthesia.


Hidetomi Watanabe's Gorui Shimpo open to show illustrations of parasites and how acupuncture combined with herbs can treat all kinds of diseases. Hidetomi Watanabe's Gorui Shimpo open to show illustrations of parasites and how acupuncture combined with herbs can treat all kinds of diseases.

Watanabe, Hidetomi
渡邊東伯
Gorui Shimpo (Studies in Acupuncture)
合類鍼法竒貨
Tokyo, 1679. 5 vols.
NLM Call Number: WZ 250 W338g 1680

This page describes how acupuncture combined with herbs can treat all kinds of diseases, including those caused by parasites.


The first page from Chun Ho's Tong ui po kam (Treasures of Eastern Medical Knowledge: Classified Book of Medicine).

Ho Chun, 1546-1615
許浚
Tong ui po kam (Treasures of Eastern Medical Knowledge: Classified Book of Medicine)
東醫寶鑑
Korea, 1613. 25 vols.
NLM Call Number: WZ 250 H678t 1634

In this work originally published in 1611, the renowned Korean medical doctor Ho Chun compiled and classified the extant medical knowledge of China, Japan, and Korea. Some of the categories he used were internal environment, external appearances of the human body, miscellaneous diseases, fluid medicine, and acupuncture.


I hsien t'u tsan open to show illustrations of famous medical men accompanied by an admiring poem. The right side image is Chang Chung-ching.

Anonymous
I hsien t'u tsan (Pictures of Famous Men of the Medical Profession)
醫僊圖讃
China, 1599?
NLM Call Number: MS B 829

This volume is comprised of 32 illustrations of famous medical men, each accompanied by an admiring poem. Shown on the right side is Chang Chung-ching.