Wei Litong: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts; Major Works and Academic Contributions
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✵Wei Litong: A Qing dynasty physician and scholar. In his early years, he studied Confucianism and made significant progress; In middle age, he suffered from functional impairment and flaccid paralysis, prompting him to devote himself to the study of medicine and become a learned physician-scholar. He authored two major medical works: Shang Han Lun Ben Yi (Original Meanings of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) and Jin Kui Yao Lüe Ben Yi (Original Meanings of the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber).
- Wei Litong
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Brief Introduction Chinese Name: 魏荔彤 (Wèi Lìtóng) Alias: 賡虞 (Gēng Yú), 淡庵 (Dàn ān) Popular Name: 魏荔彤 (Wèi Lìtóng) English Name: Wei Litong (family name first) or Litong Wei (given name first) Hometown: Baixiang, Zhili Dates: c. 1670–? CE Main works: 《傷寒論本義》(Shang Han Lun Ben Yi),《金匱要略本義》(Jin Kui Yao Lüe Ben Yi),《大易通解》(Da Yi Tong Jie),《懷舫集》(Huai Fang Ji). Representative works: Shang Han Lun Ben Yi and Jin Kui Yao Lüe Ben Yi Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts
Wei Litong was a native of Baixiang, Zhili (present-day Baixiang County). His aliases were 賡虞 (Gēng Yú) and 淡庵 (Dàn ān). He was born around 1670 CE and died at an unknown date. He was a polymath scholar well versed in Neo-Confucianism (Li Xue), Yijing studies (Yi-ology), and medicine. In his early years, he studied Confucianism and made significant progress; at age twelve, he sat for and passed the imperial examination, after which he was appointed a Hanlin Academy compiler. He served in several official capacities, including Tongzhi of Fengyang Prefecture, Prefect of Zhangzhou Prefecture, Changzhen Dao of Jiangsu, and Jiangsu Provincial Commissioner. In middle age, he suffered from functional impairment and flaccid paralysis, prompting him to devote himself to the study of medicine and become a learned physician-scholar.
Major Works and Academic Contributions
Wei Litong authored several medical works, including Shang Han Lun Ben Yi (Original Meanings of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases), and Jin Kui Yao Lüe Ben Yi (Original Meanings of the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber), both of which were published. According to historical records, he also wrote Su Wen Tong Jie (A Comprehensive Explanation of the Plain Questions) and Ling Shu Jing Tong Jie (A Comprehensive Explanation of the Spiritual Pivot); however, these two works have not survived to the present day. In addition to his medical writings, he authored Da Yi Tong Jie and Huai Fang Ji.
Shang Han Lun Ben Yi (Original Meanings of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) is a commentary on the Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) comprising eighteen volumes—two of which serve as introductory and concluding sections. Wei completed the work in 1724 CE. Beyond general discussions found in earlier commentaries, Wei’s interpretation includes systematic analyses of the six-channel theory, recurrence due to overexertion after recovery, Huo Luan, and other topics, offering valuable insights for later generations. At the beginning of the text appear Fang Youzhi’s 《陰陽表裏圖》(Yin Yang Biao Li Tu, or Diagram of the Exterior and Interior Relationships of Yin and Yang) and Min Zhiqing’s 《傳經論》(Chuan Jing Lun, or On Channel Transmission) and the author’s comments on the theories of Fang and Min. The contents on combined disease, overlapping disease, phlegm disease, and disease without relief following meridian penetration are arranged between the diseases of the three-Yang channels and those of the three-Yin channels. The interpretation is quite detailed, and the connotations of Zhongjing’s 397 methods and the original intent of the 113 prescriptions are clarified. Many views are appended to it. There is also a postscript written by Wei himself in the book. The book analyzes the eight principles of six-channel diseases and provides illustrative treatment examples for reference. Various Qing-dynasty printed editions have survived to this day.
Jin Kui Yao Lüe Ben Yi (Original Meanings of the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber) is a scholarly commentary on the Jin Kui Yao Lüe (Synopsis of the Golden Chamber); its contents are organized into twenty-two juan (volumes). Wei Litong compiled and completed the commentary in 1720 CE. In his commentary and annotations on Jin Kui Yao Lüe, Wei synthesized the essential insights of his predecessors, integrating them with his own clinical experience and scholarly learning to conduct rigorous textual scrutiny. His elaborations are extensive. In particular, his analysis of the pathogenesis and treatment of diseases and syndromes is especially detailed. However, some interpretations occasionally reach erroneous conclusions through faulty analogy. A Qing-dynasty block-printed edition has survived to this day.
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- 1. Wei Litong: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts; Major Works and Academic Contributions
