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

 ✵Xu Dachun studied Confucianism from childhood and read widely. Due to his family’s illnesses, he devoted himself to medicine, studying the works of renowned physicians of earlier dynasties. He quickly became an expert and frequently treated serious diseases with successful outcomes. He is the author of Shang Han Lei Fang (Classified Prescriptions for Cold-Induced Diseases).

Xu Dachun

  

Brief Introduction
Chinese Name:	徐大椿 (Xú Dàchūn)	Alias:	Huí Xī Lǎo Rén (洄溪老人, "Old Man of the Returning Stream")
Style Name:	Líng Tāi (靈胎)	English Name:	Xu Dachun (family name first) Dachun Xu (given name first)
Hometown:	Wujiang, Jiangsu	Dates:	c. 1693–1771 CE
Main Works:	《論傷寒類方》(Shang Han Lun Lei Fang, or On Classified Prescriptions for Cold-Induced Diseases),《蘭臺軌範》(Lan Tai Gui Fan, or Standards of the Orchid Terrace),《醫學源流論》(Yi Xue Yuan Liu Lun, or Discourse on the Origins and Development of Medicine).
Representative Works:	Shang Han Lun Lei Fang.

Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts

  Xu Dachun was originally named Dà Yè. His style name was Líng Tāi; his self-title, adopted in later life, was Huí Xī Lǎo Rén ("Old Man of the Returning Stream"). He was a native of Songling Town, Wujiang, Jiangsu. Born in the thirty-second year of the Kangxi reign (1693 CE) and deceased in the thirty-sixth year of the Qianlong reign (1771 CE), he came from a scholarly family. Though disinterested in official fame and fortune—and dismissive of stereotyped literary composition—he developed a deep engagement with Confucian classics and medicine. He studied Confucianism from childhood, read extensively, and displayed exceptional intellectual ability at an early age. Around the age of thirty, prompted by repeated family illnesses, he turned seriously to medicine. He immersed himself in the writings of eminent physicians of antiquity and rapidly achieved profound understanding. Thereafter, he began treating patients and gained practical knowledge of medicinal properties. He frequently treated severe illnesses with notable success.

 At age fourteen, Xu Dachun grew weary of essay writing. Inspired by his teacher, he remarked: “Essays have limits, but the study of classical texts is boundless.” He thus dedicated himself to classical learning—especially the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) and other ancient schools—and prioritized practical knowledge acquisition. This approach led to outstanding accomplishments in poetry, literature, calligraphy, painting, astronomy, calendrical science, prosody, mathematics, water conservancy, and, above all, medicine.

 Many members of Xu Dachun’s family fell ill—including his third younger brother, who suffered from smallpox. His father consulted renowned physicians for diagnosis and treatment. One such physician, Xu Lingtai (a homonymic reference, not Xu Dachun himself), attended to him and prepared medicines personally; he possessed some familiarity with medical theory. Nevertheless, Xu Dachun’s fourth and fifth brothers died consecutively. Grief-stricken, his father fell ill and took medicine continuously. Witnessing this, Xu Dachun recognized the vital importance of medicine—and became deeply frustrated by the incompetence of quack physicians of his time. This frustration motivated him to study medicine rigorously. He selected dozens of medical texts from his family’s collection and studied them intensively, day and night. Gradually, he grasped their meanings. Over the fifty years following his initiation into medical study, he read, annotated, and critically examined more than one thousand volumes—and reviewed over ten thousand medical texts.

 According to the records of the SuzhouFu Zhi (Suzhoufu Chronicles), he studied the I Ching (the Book of Changes) extensively and was proficient in the works of Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) and Laozi (Lao-tzu). Xu Dachun believed that reading should begin at the source and flow downstream, trace the roots of the Su Wen and Ling Shu, and then extend to the branches of the Han and Tang dynasties. First, he read ancient classical medical texts, such as the Nei Jing (The Inner Canon), Ben Cao (Shennong’s Materia Medica), Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases), Jin Kui Yao Lüe (Synopsis of the Golden Chamber); then he read later works, including Qian Jin Yao Fang (Invaluable Prescriptions) and Wai Tai Mi Yao (Medical Secrets of an Official). He learned from each text’s strengths, broadened his knowledge, conducted critical examinations, integrated theory with practice, and avoided pitfalls and prejudice.

 Xu Dachun cured many patients during his lifetime, and people from near and far sought his treatment. Emperor Qianlong summoned him to the capital city several times for medical consultation. The last summons occurred when he was seventy-nine years old. Though already ill and bedridden, his request to decline the summons was denied. He asked his son to accompany him and bring a coffin, knowing he would die en route. Indeed, he succumbed to his illness three days after arriving in the capital. A pair of self-composed tomb couplets reads: “Mountains rich with herbs and immortal medicine; a path through pine wind leading to the grave.”

Major works and academic contributions

  Xu Dachun was diligent in his studies and produced a wealth of writings throughout his life. These include The Origin of Medical Theory(《醫學源流論》Yi Xue Yuan Liu Lun, 1757), Medical Mirror (《醫貫砭》Yi Guan Bian, 1767), Lan Tai’s Medical Guide (《蘭臺軌範》Lan Tai Gui Fan, 1764), Cautionary Remarks on Diseases (《慎疾芻言》Shen Ji Chu Yan, 1767), and so on. He also compiled Interpretation of the Difficult Classics (《難經經釋》Nan Jing Jing Shi, 1727), Shennong’s Materia Medica: One Hundred Selected Entries (《神農本草經百種錄》Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing Bai Zhong Lu, 1736)、《傷寒類方》(Shang Han Lei Fang, or Classified Prescriptions from the Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases, 1759), as well as Hui Xi Yi An (《洄溪醫案》Huixi Medical Cases) and Yue Fu Chuan Sheng (《樂府傳聲》Music and Medicine)—the latter two compiled posthumously by later generations. Although ostensibly commentaries on classical texts, these works contain numerous original insights. Later scholars compiled his major writings into Xu Shi Yi Xue Quan Shu Liu Zhong (《徐氏醫學全書六種》The Complete Six Medical Works of Xu Dachun), which circulated widely and exerted profound influence. He also composed Daoist-themed lyrical poems titled Hui Xi Dao Qing (《洄溪道情》Emotional Songs of the Dao at Hui Xi River).

 Nan Jing Jing Shi (Interpretation of the Difficult Classics) is a two-volume commentary on classical medical literature compiled by Xu Dachun and completed in 1727 CE. His interpretation of the Nan Jing (The Difficult Classics) is grounded in the theoretical framework of the Nei Jing (The Inner Canon). It elucidates the rationale and scholarly origins of the Nan Jing and retains considerable reference value. However, his insistence that the Nan Jing must never contradict the Nei Jing reflects an overly rigid stance.

 Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing Bai Zhong Lu (Shennong’s Materia Medica: One Hundred Selected Entries) is a pharmacological treatise compiled by Xu Dachun and published in 1736 CE. It selects 100 principal herbs from the Ben Cao Jing (Shennong’s Materia Medica) and appends brief annotations and explanatory notes.

  Yi Xue Yuan Liu Lun (On the Origin of Medicine) is a collection of medical essays compiled by Xu Dachun and completed in 1757 CE. It comprises 99 essays. Volume I covers meridians, zang-fu viscera, pulse diagnosis, disease patterns, prescriptions, and herbal medicine. Volume II addresses therapeutic methods, textual criticism (including discussions of various medical works), and historical developments from antiquity to his own time. Across both volumes—vertically and horizontally—wherever his inquiry extends, he frequently advances novel perspectives that earlier scholars had hesitated to express, especially regarding systemic shortcomings; his reasoning is rigorous and profound.

  The four-volume Shang Han Lei Fang (Classified Prescriptions from the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases) is a treatise on febrile diseases compiled and annotated by Xu Dachun; it is also known as Shang Han Lun Lei Fang. The book was published in the twenty-fourth year of the Qianlong reign (1759 CE). Xu categorized the prescriptions in the Shang Han Lun (Treatise on cold-Induced diseases) by therapeutic function and arranged them systematically. First, he listed each prescription’s composition and administration; main indications were then discussed, followed by supplementary annotations. The first three volumes list 91 prescriptions, including Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction), Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction), Gegen Tang (Kudzu Root Decoction), Chaihu Tang (Bupleurum Decoction), Zhizi Tang (Gardenia Decoction), Chengqi Tang (Rhubarb and Mirabilite Decoction), Xiexin Tang (Drain-the-Heart Decoction), Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction), Wuling San (Alisma Powder), Sini Tang (Four-Reversal Decoction), and others. The fourth volume addresses "miscellaneous methods" and contains 22 additional prescriptions, bringing the total to 113. Xu’s analysis of the Shang Han Lun does not follow the traditional six-channel classification. He asserted: "Prescriptions have fixed indications, but disease manifestations are variable." Accordingly, he grouped the 113 prescriptions into 12 categories: Guizhi Tang, Mahuang Tang, Gegen Tang, Chaihu Tang, Zhizi Tang, Chengqi Tang, Xiexin Tang, Baihu Tang, Wuling San, Sini Tang, Lizhong Tang, and Miscellaneous Prescriptions. For each main prescription, its entry is presented first; related prescriptions of the same category follow, accompanied by annotations and modifications. Finally, the pulse patterns and syndromes associated with the six channels—as well as their evolved and variant forms—are listed in a clear, logical sequence.

 Yi Guan Bian is a critical commentary on medical theory, compiled by Xu Dachun and completed in 1767 CE. It reviews Zhao Xianke’s Yi Guan (The Key Link of Medicine). Adopting a paragraph-by-paragraph format, it quotes or excerpts the original text and appends Xu’s commentary, articulating sharply divergent views—particularly regarding Zhao’s theory and principles of warming therapy—and explicitly rejecting purgative approaches. Xu observed that contemporary practitioners often relied excessively on one or two warming or nourishing prescriptions to treat diverse conditions. He advocated syndrome differentiation and treatment based on individualized diagnosis—a stance that proved highly influential. Thus, the work retains significant reference value. However, Xu’s critique of Zhao’s theory is markedly polemical, at times dismissing it as one-sided and arbitrary. More than ten Qing-dynasty block-printed editions of this text survive today.

 Lan Tai Gui Fan was compiled by Xu Dachun and completed in 1764 CE. Volume I covers general prescriptions; Volumes II–VIII address internal medicine, miscellaneous diseases, seasonal disorders, the five senses, gynecology, pediatrics, and syndrome-based treatment. Diseases and syndromes are classified by clinical department. Diagnostic and therapeutic principles draw upon foundational classical texts—including the Nei Jing (The Inner Canon), Nan Jing (The Difficult Classics), and Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases). Xu held that “the meaning of post-Song prescriptions can be grasped through those most clinically effective.” The work is methodologically rigorous: its analyses of disease names, syndromes, symptoms, prescriptions, principal functions, indications, and herb combinations are concise, systematic, and clearly ordered. Regarding syndrome differentiation and treatment, Xu proposed: “First, ascertain the origin of the disease; second, identify both root cause and manifest symptoms. Treatment must employ a primary method; the method must rely on a principal prescription; and the prescription must center on a key herb.” This framework has been widely praised by herbalists.

 Shen Ji Chu Yan is a medical treatise compiled by Xu Dachun and completed in 1767 CE. It critically examines prevalent abuses in the medical profession—such as the indiscriminate use of tonics and mismanagement of miscellaneous diseases—with the aim of urging practitioners to approach diagnosis and treatment with diligence and caution. The text also discusses differential treatment strategies for distinct patient groups—including the elderly, women, and children—as well as protocols for external disorders. Its content is incisive and essential, free of rhetorical exaggeration.

References:

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

 Edited: April 7, 2024