Xu Bin: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts, Major Works and Academic Contributions

 ✵Xu Bin: A Qing dynasty herbalist who lived from the mid- to late 17th century. He is the author of Shang Han Fang Lun (Treatise on the Prescriptions of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases), Jin Kui Yao Lüe Lun Zhu (A brief commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber), both of which expound and praise Zhang Zhongjing’s theories.

Xu Bin

  

Brief Introduction
Chinese Name:	徐彬 (Xú Bīn)	Alias:	忠可 (Zhōng Kě)
Popular Name:	徐彬(Xú Bīn)	English Name:	Xu Bin (family name first) or Bin Xu (given name first)
Hometown:	Xiushui	Dates:	Unknown; active approximately from the mid- to late 17th century
Main Works:	《傷寒一百十三方發明》(Shang Han Yi Bai Shi San Fang Fa Ming, or Invention of the One Hundred and Thirteen Prescriptions in the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases), 《金匱要略論註》(Jin Kui Yao Lüe Lun Zhu, or A Brief Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber)
Representative Works:	Shang Han Yi Bai Shi San Fang Fa Ming, Jin Kui Yao Lüe Lun Zhu

Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts

  Xu Bin, a native of Xiushui, lived approximately from the mid- to late 17th century; his exact birth and death dates are unknown. He was a Qing dynasty physician and herbalist who studied traditional Chinese medicine under Li Shicai (李士材, Lǐ Shìcái) and Yu Chang (喻昌, Yù Chāng). He revered Shang Han Lun (The Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) and Jin Kui Yao Lüe (The Synopsis of the Golden Chamber) as two of the "Six Classics" among canonical medical texts. Little detailed biographical information about him survives in extant historical literature.

Major Works and Academic Contributions

 Xu Bin compiled Shang Han Fang Lun (Treatise on the Prescriptions of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases), also known as Shang Han Yi Bai Shi San Fang Fa Ming (Invention of the One Hundred and Thirteen Prescriptions in the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases), published in 1667 CE (the sixth year of the Kangxi reign). This work elucidates the profound theoretical and clinical significance of Zhang Zhongjing’s prescriptions. His other major works include Jin Kui Yao Lüe Lun Zhu (A Brief Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber), a 25-volume commentary completed in 1671; Shang Han Tu Shuo (Illustrated Explanations of the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases), and Zhu Xu Shi Shang Han Bai Zheng Ge (Commentary on Xu Shu’s Songs of One Hundred Syndromes of Cold-Induced Diseases), among others.

 Shang Han Yi Bai Shi San Fang Fa Ming (Invention of the One Hundred and Thirteen Prescriptions in the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) is a Qing dynasty TCM monograph by Xu Bin. Compiled in 1667 CE (the sixth year of the Kangxi era), it features prefaces by herbalists Zhang Suichen and Zhong Cheng. Its main content is organized as follows: three chapters on the Taiyang channel, recording 67 prescriptions; three chapters on the Yangming channel, recording 8 prescriptions; one chapter on the Shaoyang channel, recording 2 prescriptions; one chapter on combined syndromes, overlapping, mistreated conditions, and phlegm disorders, recording 6 prescriptions; one chapter on non-resolution following transmission over channel, recording 1 prescription; and one chapter on recurrence due to overexertion and Yin-Yang Yi, recording 5 prescriptions. The text provides annotations for all 113 prescriptions, explaining their indications, etiology, pathogenesis, and clinical applications.

 Jin Kui Yao Lüe Lun Zhu (A Brief Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber) is a 25-volume commentary on Jin Kui Yao Lüe. Completed by Xu Bin in 1671 CE, it follows the textual arrangement of the edition edited by Xu Rong (徐镕, Xú Róng). The annotations are concise, lucid, and accessible. Each annotation is followed by supplementary discussions aimed at clarifying the original meaning. The work incorporates many original insights that attracted considerable attention from later generations of physicians and scholars.

References:

• 1. Xu Bin: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts, Major Works and Academic Contributions

 Edited: April 7, 2024