✵Ancient Lady Herbalists mainly introduce traditional Chinese medicine lady herbalists who have done some study or outstanding study and application on TCM. This section gives introductions to [10] outstanding traditional Chinese medicine lady herbalists, their biographies and legends, as well as main books and academic thoughts. They are listed in order of the epoch in which they lived or according to the year their main works were published. A total of [5] monographs by these herbalists are introduced.
Yi Shuo: A famous female physician who lived during the Western Han Dynasty. She developed an interest in herbs from childhood and began collecting medicinal plants in the mountains as a teenager. She acquired extensive medical knowledge and accumulated rich clinical experience; she excelled in acupuncture and herbal therapy.
Bao Gu
Bao Gu: A famous physician of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the first known female moxibustionist in Chinese medical history. She likely contributed to the compilation of Ge Hong’s Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang (Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies), particularly in summarizing moxibustion techniques documented therein. Bao Gu was especially renowned for treating scrofula and warts.
Hu Yin
Hu Yin: She adored Taoism from a young age, enjoyed reading the Huangting Jing, and was interested in Taoist practice. She was a renowned female Taoist physician of the Tang Dynasty and a unique “Huangting” scholar of the late Tang period.
Zhang Xiao Niangzi
Zhang Xiao Niangzi: A renowned surgeon of the Jiayou era (1056–1063) of the Northern Song Dynasty. She received medical instruction from a wandering herbalist—impressed by her kindness—and later became a celebrated female physician specializing in surgery.
Xing Shi
Xíng Shì: A famous physician who was flourished during the Shaoxi years of the Southern Song Dynasty. Her family name is Xing (Xíng), while her given name is unknown; thus, she was referred to as “Xing Shi” (literally “Ms. Xing”). She excelled at pulse diagnosis and predicting disease progression.
Tan Yunxian
Tan Yunxian: A lady physician who lived during the Ming Dynasty and specialized in gynecological diseases. Her book Nv Yi Za Yan (The Miscellaneous Records of a Lady Herbalist) covers not only gynecological diseases but also internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics.
Jiang Shi and Fang Shi
Jiang Shi and Fang Shi: Jiang Shi and Fang Shi were two female physicians of the Ming Dynasty, related as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. They inherited their family’s medical tradition and specialized in pediatrics.
Zhou You
Zhou You: a female herbalist of the Ming Dynasty—and her sister Zhou Xi (Zhōu Xǐ) co-authored Ben Cao Tu Pu (Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica), the earliest extant monograph on materia medica known to have been written by women in China.
Gu Dehua
Gu Dehua: known by the alias Mán Yún, was a renowned gynecologist active in Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province, during the early to mid-nineteenth century (Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing Dynasty). Patients held her in high esteem following treatment. She is the author of Hua Yun Lou Yi An (Medical Cases from Flower Rhyme Pavilion), a landmark gynecological casebook.
✵Ancient Lady Herbalists mainly introduce traditional Chinese medicine lady herbalists who have done some study or outstanding study and application on TCM. This section gives introductions to [10] outstanding traditional Chinese medicine lady herbalists, their biographies and legends, as well as main books and academic thoughts. They are listed in order of the epoch in which they lived or according to the year their main works were published. A total of [5] monographs by these herbalists are introduced.
Bao Gu: A famous physician of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the first known female moxibustionist in Chinese medical history. She likely contributed to the compilation of Ge Hong’s Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang (Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies), particularly in summarizing moxibustion techniques documented therein. Bao Gu was especially renowned for treating scrofula and warts.
Hu Yin: She adored Taoism from a young age, enjoyed reading the Huangting Jing, and was interested in Taoist practice. She was a renowned female Taoist physician of the Tang Dynasty and a unique “Huangting” scholar of the late Tang period.
Zhang Xiao Niangzi: A renowned surgeon of the Jiayou era (1056–1063) of the Northern Song Dynasty. She received medical instruction from a wandering herbalist—impressed by her kindness—and later became a celebrated female physician specializing in surgery.
Xíng Shì: A famous physician who was flourished during the Shaoxi years of the Southern Song Dynasty. Her family name is Xing (Xíng), while her given name is unknown; thus, she was referred to as “Xing Shi” (literally “Ms. Xing”). She excelled at pulse diagnosis and predicting disease progression.
Tan Yunxian: A lady physician who lived during the Ming Dynasty and specialized in gynecological diseases. Her book Nv Yi Za Yan (The Miscellaneous Records of a Lady Herbalist) covers not only gynecological diseases but also internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics.
Jiang Shi and Fang Shi: Jiang Shi and Fang Shi were two female physicians of the Ming Dynasty, related as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. They inherited their family’s medical tradition and specialized in pediatrics.
Zhou You: a female herbalist of the Ming Dynasty—and her sister Zhou Xi (Zhōu Xǐ) co-authored Ben Cao Tu Pu (Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica), the earliest extant monograph on materia medica known to have been written by women in China.
Gu Dehua: known by the alias Mán Yún, was a renowned gynecologist active in Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province, during the early to mid-nineteenth century (Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing Dynasty). Patients held her in high esteem following treatment. She is the author of Hua Yun Lou Yi An (Medical Cases from Flower Rhyme Pavilion), a landmark gynecological casebook.