Search

Nan jing ben yi (Gist of the Classic of Questioning) was written by Hua Shou of the Yuan dynasty. The extant first volume of the original block - printed edition, revised by Lü Fu, was collected in the Library of China Academy of Military Medical Science. There is a preface written by Jie Hong, a Director Ministry of Techndogy in 1366 at the front of this volume. The red seal in the first page showed that it had been collected by Yun Xiang, Pan Zuyin et al. It is highly possible that this volume is the only existing copy.

By comparing the Song edition of Shang Han Lun with that of the pre -Song period, it is claimed that the original order of this book was not arranged on the sequence of 3- yin and 3- yang. Instead, it is arranged on the sequence of indications and contraindications of diaphoresis, emesis, purgation. During the process of its circulation, it was separated into two stems of circulated edition, the Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yu Han Jing, and the system of 3- yin and 3- yang, order of entries diagnosis based on differentiation of 6 channels, and polish of languages were completed during the process of its circulation. The edition collated by Lin Yi of the Song dynasty was the one circulated until today.

The book named Da Chaoxianyi Wen (Answer to the Questions of a Korean Physician), written in 1624, recorded the written answers of Wang Yinglin, a Chinese official in the Ming dynasty, to the questions of Yin Zhiwei, a Korean official physician. The 24 A&Qs concerned about the therapy of ordinary diseases, channels and the theories of TCM, etc. The study of this book could not only clarify various questions on the exchanges between Wang and Yin, but also learn more information on the development of Korean medicine at that time.

External therapy was applied for internal diseases in 78 case records in Classified Medical Records of Famous Doctors, including 19 kinds of external therapies for 41 categories of internal disease involving 40 famous doctors. The external therapy embodied the principle of "treatment according to differential diagnosis of Zhen "of TMC", "regular treatment", "contrary treatment" and multiple routes of administration were given in accordance with the differentiation, demonstrating that ancient doctors paid high attention to external therapy for internal diseases.

As an important and integral part of non - drug folk therapy on TCM, there were also many other names for cupping therapy, such as "horning", "needlehorn", "sucking method", "fire - cupping", "boiling bamboo cylinder". By textual investigation, considerable clear recognition can be reached on the names, cupping instruments, cupping measure, indications and contradictions in different historical stages. Presently, cupping therapy is combined with other measures, such as drug therapy, acumoxibustions etc. In recent years, multi - functional vacuum cupping devices made of high - technical materials mark a great leap forward of the features of cupping devices and sucking measures.

The systems of diagnosis and treatment of exopathogenic diseases has a long history. The six channel pattern identification and the defense - qi- construction - blood and triple - jiao pattern identifications are the most famous but not complete. The exterior, interior, excess and heat pattern identification and the six channel qi transformation pattern identification, founded by Liu Hejian, Yang Lishan, Yu Shiyu and Yu Genchu et al. during the Jin and Qing dynasties, should be considered the other two important systems, which can be used as supplements to schools of Shanghan (cold damage) and Wenbing (warm disease). Moreover, it should be pointed out that treatment according to the pattern identification is not the only way to treat exopathogenic disease. Rather, treatment according to the disease, which chiefly are the experience of folk doctors recorded in formulary books during the Jin and Tang dynasties, supplied many effective formulas for various systems of the treatment according to the pattern identification in later ages. One of them lays emphasis on the technics of thinking, the other on the accumulation of personal experience. The combination of the two is the right way to promote the therapeutic effect of exopathogenic disease.

Though there are famous theories of "assorted Qi", "membranous origin", the contribution of Wu Youke's Wen yi lun (On Warm Pestilence) of the theory of " expelling pathogens regardless of hard stool" (EPRHS) is even more important. The main points of this theory includes: it is essential to expel pathogens at an early stage, while for attacking therapy, expelling pathogens with rhubarb is essential. EPRHS elucidates the significance of expelling pathogens in attacking therapy theoretically, and elevates the efficacy clinically with profound influence in later ages. In the past 2 decades, the early application of rhubarb to elevate the therapeutic effect for the treatment of pneumonia, epidemic meningitis, and Bencephalitis even in the absence of hard constipated stool marks the significance of Wu's such theory.

This paper gives a general introduction to the studies on the formulation and invention of anti-tumor remedies from 1950s-1980s. Beginning from 50s, antitumor antibiotics were investigated. New alkylicompoun and antibiotics were found in the 60s, while more new natural compounds were found in the 70s. Researches were proceeded in the 80s based on the former achievements. Through the process of about 30 years, nearly 80 new species were produced, many anti-tumor pharmaceutical corporations established, and a contigent of high level research workers was formed. However, there still exist a rather large gap between the urgent clinical needs for clinical chemotherapeutics and the actual status. Based on some 30 years of experience in China, the following points were summarized, i.e., shifting from merely imitation to invention, developing the spirit of massive cooperation, investigating the thesaurus of TCM, developing China's plant resources, and traditional Chinese preventive idea, so that the stress point for research be laid on the invention of preventive anti-tumor remedies.

Being a tropical therapeutic measure, immersion therapy of Mongolian medicine includes mineral therapy, sebsu therapy, medical bath, liquid spraying and others. They have a long history and were recorded in Chinese or Mongolian medical works. Its provenance is closely related to the nomadic culture of the Mongolian plateau.

Brief discourse is given on the application history of bismuth in clinical therapy, diagnosis and other subsidiary departments. It also deals with its present status at home and abroad.

Careful investigation on three different ancient editions of On Five Viscera reveals that all the following editions, viz. the latter parts of A and C edition of Zhang Zhongjing's On Five Viscera, Treating humankind of classified collectics of recipes, are ancient editions of Zhang Zhongjing's On Five Viscera which are derived from a common source edition. Since the contents of Zhang Zhongjing's and Jiva's On Five Viscera are basically the same; they are all apocryphal books. This paper also summarizes the achievements of these three books, including macrocosm-microcosm unison, anatomy, three-segment theory of human body, acupoints, and herbology.

TCM therapy began in the Song Dynasty in Hainan. Medical instructor (Xun dao) was first established in the Ming Dynasty, with a total of thirty physicians. In the early Qing Dynasty, monastery of medical kings, Pujitang were built while Hui Ai Yi Ju and Aiseng Hospital were established in late Qing Dynasty. The development of TCM medical exchanges and planting southern herbs during the 20th century are also discussed.