Miao Cunji: Biographical introduction and legendary stories, major works and academic contributions
✵Miao Cunji:A herbalist who lived during the Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty. He studied Confucianism as a child and later studied medicine with his uncles. He is the author of the book Shang Han Cuo Yao (Brief Points of Shang Han), in which he references Tao Hua's books Shang Han Quan Sheng Ji and Shang Han Liu Shu.
繆存濟 (Miào Cúnjǐ).
Brief Introduction
Chinese Name:
繆存濟 (Miào Cúnjǐ)
Alias:
慕松 (Mù Sōng)
Popular name:
繆存濟 (Miào Cúnjǐ)
English Name:
Miao Cunji, Cunji Miao.
Hometown:
Changzhou of Su Jun
Dates:
about 2717~2599 B.C.
Main works:
《傷寒撮要》(Shang Han Cuo Yao, or the Brief Points of Shang Han) 6 volumes, 《識病捷法》(Shi Bing Jie Fa, or the Fast Method of Identifying Disease.) 10 volumes.
Representative works:
Shang Han Cuo Yao (the Brief Points of Shang Han) 6 volumes, Shi Bing Jie Fa (the Fast Method of Identifying Disease.) 10 volumes.
Biography and legends:
繆存濟 (Miào Cúnjǐ), an herbalist from the Ming Dynasty, was also known as 慕松 (Mù Sōng). He was from Changzhou, Sujun (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu) and lived during the Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty.He studied Confucianism as a child and later studied at Yaojiang. Later, he fell ill frequently. Because he had been ill since childhood, the herbalists he sought treatment from were unable to effectively treat him. He then abandoned Confucianism and studied medicine with his uncles. He read widely in classic and prescription works from ancient times, and gradually became well-versed in them, especially in Shang Han. He knew that Shang Han (the exogenous febrile disease) was the most common disease. After Zhongjing, many herbalists wrote books about it. Miao collected methods that predecessors had tried. He used Tao Jie’an’s works, Shang Han Quan Sheng Ji and Shang Han Liu Shu as references. He deleted the redundant text and supplemented what was missing. Following the rationale and adversity, He combined his viewpoints and compiled the six-volume book, Shang Han Cuo Yao (The Brief Points of Shang Han), in 1567. Miao had broad knowledge of internal medicine, gynecology, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) medicine, incised wounds, and more. In 1567, he compiled the ten-volume book Shi Bing Jie Fa (The Fast Method of Identifying Disease), in which he named and classified diseases by department, detected life-and-death pulses, and listed proven prescriptions for identification, which benefited later scholars.
Main books and academic thoughts:
The six-volume book Shang Han Cuo Yao (The Brief Points of Shang Han)was compiled and finished by Miao Cunji in 1567 CE. He knew that Shang Han (the exogenous febrile diseases) was the most common disease. After Zhongjing, many herbalists wrote books about it. Miao Cunji collected methods tried by predecessors and used Tao Jie’an’s works, Shang Han Quan Sheng Ji and Shang Han Liu Shu, as references. He deleted the multifarious red text and supplemented what was missing, following the rationale and adversity. He combined his viewpoints and compiled the book. Its main content is the detailed classification of Shang Han (exogenous febrile diseases) according to exterior and interior, deficiency and excess, and the differentiation of Yin and Yang, cold and heat. It also covers the subsequent order of root causes and symptoms. The disease, its changes, and similar illnesses, refer to each other. Old discussions were collected from ancient works and new discussions were added based on his viewpoints.
Shi Bing Jie Fa (The Fast Method of Identifying Disease.)is a comprehensive medical book in ten volumes that was finished in 1567 AD. It was compiled by Miao Cunji of the Ming Dynasty. The author discusses various internal diseases and gynecological, ophthalmological, and oral cavity syndromes, incised wound. He also briefly describes the causes and pulse manifestations in the treatment of syndrome differentiation. This edition is notable for listing the syndromes of the spleen and stomach before other syndromes and for not listing other syndromes in the special volume, except for women's diseases. Carved copies and manuscripts of the book from the Ming dynasty have survived to this day.
References:
1.Miao Cunji: Biographical introduction and legendary stories, major works and academic contributions.
✵Miao Cunji:A herbalist who lived during the Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty. He studied Confucianism as a child and later studied medicine with his uncles. He is the author of the book Shang Han Cuo Yao (Brief Points of Shang Han), in which he references Tao Hua's books Shang Han Quan Sheng Ji and Shang Han Liu Shu.
繆存濟 (Miào Cúnjǐ), an herbalist from the Ming Dynasty, was also known as 慕松 (Mù Sōng). He was from Changzhou, Sujun (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu) and lived during the Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty.He studied Confucianism as a child and later studied at Yaojiang. Later, he fell ill frequently. Because he had been ill since childhood, the herbalists he sought treatment from were unable to effectively treat him. He then abandoned Confucianism and studied medicine with his uncles. He read widely in classic and prescription works from ancient times, and gradually became well-versed in them, especially in Shang Han. He knew that Shang Han (the exogenous febrile disease) was the most common disease. After Zhongjing, many herbalists wrote books about it. Miao collected methods that predecessors had tried. He used Tao Jie’an’s works, Shang Han Quan Sheng Ji and Shang Han Liu Shu as references. He deleted the redundant text and supplemented what was missing. Following the rationale and adversity, He combined his viewpoints and compiled the six-volume book, Shang Han Cuo Yao (The Brief Points of Shang Han), in 1567. Miao had broad knowledge of internal medicine, gynecology, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) medicine, incised wounds, and more. In 1567, he compiled the ten-volume book Shi Bing Jie Fa (The Fast Method of Identifying Disease), in which he named and classified diseases by department, detected life-and-death pulses, and listed proven prescriptions for identification, which benefited later scholars.
