Shao Chengping: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts, Major Works and Academic Contributions
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✵Shao Chengping: a Qing dynasty physician and a master of Shanghan studies. He lived approximately during the mid-Qing dynasty, from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century. He is the author of Shang Han Zheng Yi Lu (Record of Correct Medical Treatment for Cold-Induced Diseases).
- Shao Chengping
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Brief Introduction Chinese Name: 邵成平 (Shào Chéngpíng) Alias: Unknown Style Name: Yongji (庸济, yōngjì) English Name: Shao Chengping (family name first) or Chengping Shao (given name first) Hometown: Huating (now part of Shanghai city) Dates: c. 1673–c. 1750 CE Major Work: Shang Han Zheng Yi Lu (Record of Correct Medical Treatment for Cold-Induced Diseases) Representative Work: Shang Han Zheng Yi Lu (Record of Correct Medical Treatment for Cold-Induced Diseases) Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts
Shao Chengping (c. 1673–c. 1750) was a physician of the Qing dynasty. His style name was Yongji, and he was a native of Huating (now part of Shanghai city). He lived approximately during the mid-Qing dynasty; historical records suggest his lifespan as c. 1673 to c. 1750 CE, placing his active years roughly from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century.
The author was a master of Shanghan studies, believing that Zhang Zhongjing’s Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) was not merely a guide for treating cold-induced diseases but also the foundation for treating all medical specialties. However, its language is archaic and abstruse, and its meanings are profound—often making it difficult for readers to comprehend. Throughout history, there have been hundreds of commentators, whose interpretations have varied: some agreeing, some differing—all of which can be cross-referenced and verified. Thus, he selected and compiled transmitted commentaries by various scholars, sometimes adding his own insights, to compile the Shang Han Zheng Yi Lu (Record of Correct Medical Treatment for Cold-Induced Diseases) in ten volumes.Major Works and Academic Contributions
Shao Chengping’s primary extant work is Shang Han Zheng Yi Lu (Record of Correct Medical Treatment for Cold-Induced Diseases); the exact date of its composition is unknown, though it is believed to have been written before 1744 CE.
Shang Han Zheng Yi Lu (Record of Correct Medical Treatment for Cold-Induced Diseases), 10 volumes: Volume 1 covers Li Dongyuan’s distinctions between internal injury and external invasion, as well as the classification of pulse patterns and symptoms; Volumes 2 through 4 expound on the diagnostic and therapeutic methods for Taiyang, Yangming, and Shaoyang diseases; Volume 5 discusses combined and concurrent diseases, chest constriction, and epigastric fullness; Volumes 6 through 8 elaborate on Taiyin, Shaoyin, and Jueyin diseases of cold-induced origin; Volume 9 discusses relapses due to overwork or overeating, yin-yang inversion, convulsion (spasm), dampness-related diseases, heatstroke, summer-heat, cholera, nüè disease, and dysentery; Volume 10 covers the diagnosis and treatment of spring-warm diseases, summer-heat, rashes, epidemics, fire-induced disorders, and Hu Huo (Fox Bewitching Syndrome).
Shao believed that Zhang Zhongjing’s Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) was not merely a guide for treating cold-induced diseases but also the foundation for treating diseases across all medical specialties. However, as its language is archaic and its meanings profound, readers often find it difficult to understand. Therefore, he drew upon the theories of renowned scholars such as Li Dongyuan, Zhu Danxi, Xue Ji, and Wang Lu, incorporating his own insights to make it more accessible to future scholars.
A first edition printed by Sandang Xuan in the ninth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty (1744) currently survives.
References:
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- 1. Shao Chengping: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts, Major Works and Academic Contributions
