Famous Chinese Medical Textbooks
This section is mostly a collection of databases listing some of the most famous textbooks about Chinese medicine. There are thousands, most of which have not been translated into English. Fortunately there are a variety of universities and private foundations attempting to collect, organize and translate the unbelievably vast legacy of Chinese medicine.
General Overview
One of the oldest written documents on Chinese medicine is the Recipes for Fifty-two Ailments which had been sealed in a tomb in 168 BCE. It was one of the first books to write about the Yin Yang Theory of medicine and the “Five Phases” were brought together in a sophisticated manner. It also made mention of spirits and magic.
The oldest surviving written truly scientific document on Chinese medicine is probably theYellow Emperor’s Inner Cannon, compiled around the first century BCE. It explains the relationship between humans, the environment and the cosmos.
Another truly ancient document was the “Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders and Miscellaneous Illnesses” put together by Zhang Zhongjing between 196 and 220 CE at the end of the Han Dynasty. This text focused more on drug treatments rather than acupuncture and was the first to combine Ying Yang theory, the Five Phases and drug therapy. The resulting formulary was the first Chinese medical text to organize symptoms into clinical patterns (Zheng). This text evolved over the eons and has been sub-divided into two books, the Treatise on Cold Damage
Disorders and the Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Casket, which were reorganized and edited separately in the 11th Century during the Song dynasty.
During following centuries the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon was also subdivided into separate smaller works that attempted to summarize the information. One was the Canon of Problems (2nd Century CE). The AB Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhenjiu jiayi jing 針灸甲乙經) was compiled by Huangfu Mi sometimes between 256 and 282 CE. This work concerned mainly acupuncture. Then there was the Canon of the Pulse (Maijing 脈經; ca. 280) which was a comprehensive handbook on diagnostics and different therapies.
During the Song Dynasty a philosopher named Zhou Dunyi (1017 – 1073) wrote the Taijitu Shou or Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate.
The oldest surviving written truly scientific document on Chinese medicine is probably theYellow Emperor’s Inner Cannon, compiled around the first century BCE. It explains the relationship between humans, the environment and the cosmos.
Another truly ancient document was the “Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders and Miscellaneous Illnesses” put together by Zhang Zhongjing between 196 and 220 CE at the end of the Han Dynasty. This text focused more on drug treatments rather than acupuncture and was the first to combine Ying Yang theory, the Five Phases and drug therapy. The resulting formulary was the first Chinese medical text to organize symptoms into clinical patterns (Zheng). This text evolved over the eons and has been sub-divided into two books, the Treatise on Cold Damage
Disorders and the Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Casket, which were reorganized and edited separately in the 11th Century during the Song dynasty.
During following centuries the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon was also subdivided into separate smaller works that attempted to summarize the information. One was the Canon of Problems (2nd Century CE). The AB Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhenjiu jiayi jing 針灸甲乙經) was compiled by Huangfu Mi sometimes between 256 and 282 CE. This work concerned mainly acupuncture. Then there was the Canon of the Pulse (Maijing 脈經; ca. 280) which was a comprehensive handbook on diagnostics and different therapies.
During the Song Dynasty a philosopher named Zhou Dunyi (1017 – 1073) wrote the Taijitu Shou or Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine (the world's largest medical library) also has an amazing collection of classic Chinese medical texts posted online:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/chinesemedicine/index.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/chinesemedicine/index.html
CHINESE MEDICAL BOOK DATABASES
Most but not all of the following require a paid subscription. It would take several lifetimes to research even half of this material, but an experienced and determined researcher can find what they’re looking for with little effort.
http://cm-db.com/
This is a huge and very amazing database; which is also working to translate the corpus of Chinese Traditional Medicine into English. Though not complete when it's finished it will be one of the wonders of the world. Unfortunately you have to pay to actually see the documents, though anyone can view the bibliography for free!
http://www.gfmer.ch/TMCAM/TNCAM_database_system.htm
http://www.cintcm.com/opencms/opencms/index.html (In Chinese)
http://www.cintcm.ac.cn/opencms/opencms/index.html (In Chinese)
http://hkbu.libguides.com/content.php?pid=127029&sid=1090548
http://tcm.cmu.edu.tw/
http://cm-db.com/
This is a huge and very amazing database; which is also working to translate the corpus of Chinese Traditional Medicine into English. Though not complete when it's finished it will be one of the wonders of the world. Unfortunately you have to pay to actually see the documents, though anyone can view the bibliography for free!
http://www.gfmer.ch/TMCAM/TNCAM_database_system.htm
http://www.cintcm.com/opencms/opencms/index.html (In Chinese)
http://www.cintcm.ac.cn/opencms/opencms/index.html (In Chinese)
http://hkbu.libguides.com/content.php?pid=127029&sid=1090548
http://tcm.cmu.edu.tw/
The Traditional Chinese Medicine Database
The Traditional Chinese Medicine Database System has been set up by the Institute of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine , China Academy of Chinese Medical Science since 1984. Currently, the system consists of over 40 categories of Chinese Medicine Databases, possessing 1,100,000 items of Data, including the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval Database, Clinical Medicine Database, Traditional Chinese Drug Database, Database of Chinese Medical Formula, Traditional Chinese Medicine Enterprises and Productions Database, State Standards Database, etc. It also has two English databases, Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS) (English) and Traditional Chinese Drug Database (TCDBASE) (English)
http://cowork.cintcm.com/engine/windex1.jsp
http://cowork.cintcm.com/engine/windex1.jsp
The Chinese Medical Journal (CMJ)
The Chinese Medical Journal (CMJ) is published semimonthly in English by the Chinese Medical Association, and is a
peer reviewed general medical journal for all doctors, researchers, and health workers regardless of their medical specialty or type of employment. Established in 1887, it is the oldest medical periodical in China and is distributed worldwide. The journal functions as a window into China’s medical sciences and reflects the advances and progress in China’s medical sciences and technology. It serves the objective of international academic exchange. The journal includes Original Articles, Editorial, Review Articles, Medical Progress, Brief Reports, Case Reports, Conference Proceedings, News and Notes.
http://cmj.org/
peer reviewed general medical journal for all doctors, researchers, and health workers regardless of their medical specialty or type of employment. Established in 1887, it is the oldest medical periodical in China and is distributed worldwide. The journal functions as a window into China’s medical sciences and reflects the advances and progress in China’s medical sciences and technology. It serves the objective of international academic exchange. The journal includes Original Articles, Editorial, Review Articles, Medical Progress, Brief Reports, Case Reports, Conference Proceedings, News and Notes.
http://cmj.org/
Ying Yang House
http://www.yinyanghouse.com/theory/herbalmedicine/tcm_herbal_medicine_database
Excellent free brief descriptions of many Chinese medical herbs
Excellent free brief descriptions of many Chinese medical herbs
WIKIPEDIA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine
Wikipedia like usual did an excellent job making a general outline of the basic beliefs involved in CTM – the reference section at the bottom of the page is also well done.
Wikipedia like usual did an excellent job making a general outline of the basic beliefs involved in CTM – the reference section at the bottom of the page is also well done.