Shen Jinao: Biographical introduction and historical accounts, major works and academic contributions

TCM Knowledge:Prominent Ancient Herbalists ✵Shen Jinao:a herbalist during the Qing dynasty. In his early years, he studied Confucianism, learned extensively and had a good memory. He studied epics and literature and learned medical skills, practice divination, and star calculations. He is the author of Shang Han Lun Gang Mu (The Outline of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases).

Shen Jinao

  
Brief Introduction
Chinese Name: 沈金鰲 (Shěn Jīnáo)Alias: 芊綠 (Qiān Lǜ)
Popular name: 沈金鰲 (Shěn Jīnáo)English Name: Shen Jinao (family name first) or Jinao Shen (given name first)
Hometown: WuxiDates: 1717–1776 CE
Main Works: 《脈象統類》(Mai Xiang Tong Lei)《諸脈主病詩》(Zhu Mai Zhu Bing Shi)《雜病源流犀燭》(Za Bing Yuan Liu Xi Zhu)《傷寒論綱目》(Shang Han Lun Gang Mu)《婦科玉尺》(Fu Ke Yu Chi),《幼科釋迷》(You Ke Shi Mi),《要藥分劑》(Yao Yao Fen Ji).
Representative Work: Shen Shi Zun Sheng Shu.

Biographical introduction and historical accounts


 沈金鰲Shěn Jīnáo 沈金鰲 (Shěn Jīnáo), his alias is 芊綠 (Qiān Lǜ), self-title is 汲門 (Ji Men), or 尊生老人 (Zun Sheng Lao Ren). He was a herbalist during the Qing dynasty, and he was born around 1717 and died around 1776. He was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu. In his early years, he studied Confucianism, learned extensively and had a good memory. He studied epics and literature and learned medical skills, practice divination, and star calculations.

Major works and academic contributions


 Shen Jinao wrote the literary work Shang Shu Sui Bi (Shang Shu Essays). In his middle age, after failing many imperial examinations, he decided to study medicine and gradually became proficient in various departments. He also studied Su Wen (The Plain Questions), and Ling Shu (The Spiritual Pivot), as well as the theories of Zhongjing and masters of past dynasties, and references to each other. Later, he diligently wrote and successively compiled Mai Xiang Tong Lei, Zhu Mai Zhu Bing Shi, Za Bing Yuan Liu Xi Zhu, and Shang Han Lun Gang Mu. He also wrote Fu Ke Yu Chi, You Ke Shi Mi, and Yao Yao Fen Ji. These works were collected and edited into a book titled Shen Shi Zun Sheng Shu (Health Maintenance Book of Shen), the content is extensive, and the exposition is also incisive, influential. Multiple publications have survived to this day.

 Shang Han Lun Gang Mu (Outline of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases), is a book about the study of Shang Han Lun (the Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases), 16 volumes, by Shen Jinao. It was compiled and finished in Qianlong's 39th year (1774 CE). Shen based his work on entries of Zhang Zhongjing’s Shang Han Lun, and collected discussions by Wang Shuhe and herbalists after him, Zhu Gong, Cheng Wuji, Xu Shuwei, Liu Wansu, Zhang Yuansu, Zhang Congzheng, Li Gao, Zhu Zhenheng, Zhang Jiebin, Yu Chang, and Ke Qin. He added notes and compiled this book. This work is one of the sub-volumes of Shen Shi Zun Sheng Shu (Health Maintenance Book of Shen's). The first volume is titled with a general discussion, divided into chapters including pulse syndrome, the main symptoms of the six channels, exterior and interior, transmission and changes. Volumes 1–15 compile the original text of the Shang Han Lun as an outline, and selected annotations from past dynasties that clarify Zhongjing's original intent. The contents are categorized according to the order of the six channels and are mainly based on Ke Yunbo's theory. Syndromes that do not belong to the six channels, such as syndromes after cold-induced disease, pulse differentiation, and normal pulse, etc., are listed in the sixteenth volume. Shen elaborates on the theories he compiled, focusing on treatment based on syndrome differentiation. The author's notes are quite careful, and more pertinent, to make up for those parts which were not reached by the previous herbalists. This book is begins with a general summary of the six-channel diseases, each channel has a section on channels and collaterals at the beginning of the chapter, clarifying the main syndrome, main symptoms and accompanying symptoms, deteriorated case. Common diseases and syndromes are listed below; the relevant entries of Shang Han Lun are listed in each section, so that readers can easily understand the symptoms and treatments at a glance. Additionally, the discussion of warm disease and febrile disease is in more details, focusing on the difference between cold-induced disease and warm disease, warm head disease, epidemic infectious diseases, and epidemic heat syndromes.

References:
  • 1.Shen Jinao: Biographical introduction and historical accounts, major works and academic contributions

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