王綸Wáng Guān:introduction about his biography and legends,main books and academic thoughts.
✵王綸(Wáng Guān):herbalist ever lived during the middle of 15th century till the early of the 16th century, he was kind, upright honest and frank in nature, not cater to the vulgar taste, author of the gynecological works Jie Zhai Gong Tai Chan Yi An(the Births Cases of Jie Zhai Gong).
王綸(Wáng Guān).
Brief Introduction
漢語名(Chinese Name):
王綸(Wáng Guān)
Alias:
汝言(Rǔ Yán)
Popular name:
王綸(Wáng Guān)
English Name:
Wang Guan, or Guan Wang(Given/Family)
Hometown:
Cixi
Dates:
about 1453~1510 AD.
Main works:
《本草集要》(Ben Cao Ji Yao),《明醫雜著》(Ming Yi Za Zhu),《醫論問答》(Yi Lun Wen Da),《節齋醫論》(Jie Zhai Yi Lun),《節齋公胎產醫案》(Jie Zhai Gong Tai Chan Yi An)..
Representative works:
《明醫雜著》(Ming Yi Za Zhu).
Biography and legends:
王綸(Wáng Guān), alias 汝言(Rǔ Yán), self-title 节斋(Jiē Zhāi), he was born in Cixi. According to records, he was born in the year of Jingtai Guiyou(the year 1453 AD) and passed away in the Zhengde Gengwu year(the year 1505 AD) at the age of fifty-eight. During the years of Hongzhi(year 1488~1505 AD) he served as a Li Bu Lang Zhong( an officiate of the Ministry of Rites), and later was assigned as the right deputy censor during the Zhengde years(year 1506~1521), with considerable achievements. He studied medicine because of his father's illness, and pass the examination of Jinshi scholar in the 20th year of Chenghua(year 1465~1487 AD). He also treats diseases in the leisure time, often with good results. According to records of the Cixi Xian Zhi(the Cixi county chronicles), Wang Guan was kind, upright honest and frank in nature, not cater to the vulgar taste, and his writing was plain and elegant, with a clear sense of meaning, he was especially good at medicine, all patients got treated well.
Main books and academic thoughts:
Based on ancient Chinese Materia Medica and works by Zhang Jiegu, Li Dongyuan, Zhu Zhenheng, and other famous herbalists, he edited and compiled eight volumes of Ben Cao Ji Yao(the Essential Collections of Materia Medica). He also combined the theories of Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi, with his personal experience and compiled the works Ming Yi Za Zhu(the Collection of Physicians' Experiences in the Ming Dynasty) in six volumes, the book was compiled in 1502 AD. His writing has a considerable influence on herbalist Xue Ji and others. Other works of him are known including Yi Lun Wen Da(the Medical Theory Questions and Answers), it was also known as Ming Yi Wen Da(Medical Questions and Answers of herbalists in the Ming Dynasty) in 1 volume, Jie Zhai Yi Lun(the Medical Theory of Jie Zhai) in 1 volume, Jie Zhai Xiao Er Yi Shu(the Paediatrics Book of Jie Zhai), Jie Zhai Gong Tai Chan Yi An(the Births Cases of Jie Zhai Gong) in 1 volume.
The writing date of Jie Zhai Gong Tai Chan Yi An(the Births Cases of Jie Zhai Gong) was approximately between the 2nd year of Hongzhi(the year 1489 AD) and the fifth year of Zhengde Gengwu(the year 1510 AD). The whole book has one volume, no catalog, firstly discusses the application scope of the Quanyun formula, prescriptions and clinical add or minus, secondly discusses postpartum blood theory, discusses the mechanism of Shenghua formula quite in detail, and recounts the etiology and mechanism of 33 kinds of diseases and syndromes after childbirth, the represents and syndrome differentiation treatment of the mistreatment of a developed syndrome.
Wang Guan’s theory is similar to Zhu Danxi’s school. Wang Guan comments positively on the theories of Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi academically. His main works agree with the view that “Yin is frequently insufficient, but Yang is often excessive”. He also attaches importance to Li Dongyuan’s ascending and descending theory of spleen and stomach, and advocates exclusively focusing on the Nei Jing(the Inner Canon) in medical science, while need to widely read other four herbalists, he believes that the books of Zhang Zhongjing, Li Dongyuan, Liu Hejian, and Zhu Danxi "discovered one aspect of the medical science", widely read the works of the four herbalists, so can achieve to "the completeness of physician's skills". Because Wang Guan was busy in his official career, not many books had been written, but his theories had a certain impact on later generations. Xue Ji inherited Wang’s academic thoughts and merged with the theories of Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi, pioneered the later warming and recuperating school, a precedent.
References:
1.王綸Wáng Guān:introduction about his biography and legends,main books and academic thoughts.
✵王綸(Wáng Guān):herbalist ever lived during the middle of 15th century till the early of the 16th century, he was kind, upright honest and frank in nature, not cater to the vulgar taste, author of the gynecological works Jie Zhai Gong Tai Chan Yi An(the Births Cases of Jie Zhai Gong).
王綸(Wáng Guān), alias 汝言(Rǔ Yán), self-title 节斋(Jiē Zhāi), he was born in Cixi. According to records, he was born in the year of Jingtai Guiyou(the year 1453 AD) and passed away in the Zhengde Gengwu year(the year 1505 AD) at the age of fifty-eight. During the years of Hongzhi(year 1488~1505 AD) he served as a Li Bu Lang Zhong( an officiate of the Ministry of Rites), and later was assigned as the right deputy censor during the Zhengde years(year 1506~1521), with considerable achievements. He studied medicine because of his father's illness, and pass the examination of Jinshi scholar in the 20th year of Chenghua(year 1465~1487 AD). He also treats diseases in the leisure time, often with good results. According to records of the Cixi Xian Zhi(the Cixi county chronicles), Wang Guan was kind, upright honest and frank in nature, not cater to the vulgar taste, and his writing was plain and elegant, with a clear sense of meaning, he was especially good at medicine, all patients got treated well.
