Zhu Guangbei: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts, Major Works and Academic Contributions
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✵Zhu Guangbei was a Qing dynasty physician. He lived approximately during the mid-to-late Qing dynasty, from the mid-to-late 18th century to the early 19th century. He is the author of Jin Kui Yao Lüe Zheng Yi (Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber).
- Zhu Guangbei
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Brief Introduction Chinese Name: 朱光被 (Zhū Guāngbèi) Alias: Unknown Style Name: Junming (峻明, jùnmíng) English Name: Zhu Guangbei (family name first) or Guangbei Zhu (given name first) Hometown: Unknown Dates: Mid-to-late Qing dynasty Major Work: Jin Kui Yao Lüe Zheng Yi (Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber) Representative Work: Jin Kui Yao Lüe Zheng Yi (Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber) Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts
Zhu Guangbei, a Qing dynasty physician, style name Junming, lived approximately during the mid-to-late Qing dynasty. His dates of birth and death, life story, and place of origin are unknown; he is believed to have lived from the mid-to-late 18th century to the early 19th century. He authored Jin Kui Yao Lüe Zheng Yi (Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber)
Major Works and Academic Contributions
Zhu Guangbei’s major extant work is Jin Kui Yao Lüe Zheng Yi (Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber), also known as Jin Kui Du Ben (A Reader’s Guide to the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber), a two-volume work, of which woodblock-printed editions are currently in circulation.
Jin Kui Yao Lüe Zheng Yi (Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber) was compiled by Zhu Guangbei (Junming) of the Qing dynasty and was likely completed in the eighth year of the Jiaqing reign (1803 CE). Since the work it cites—Xu Bin’s Jin Kui Yao Lüe Lun Zhu (A Brief Commentary on the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber)—was completed in 1671 CE, this book must have been compiled after 1671 CE. Three versions of the work have been preserved to the present day.
This work provides commentary on the original text of the Jin Kui Yao Lüe (Synopsis of the Golden Chamber), primarily based on the compiler’s personal insights and interpretations derived from his study of the text. It offers concise explanations of diagnosis, treatment, etiology, and pathology; its analysis of pattern differentiation is particularly enlightening.
The book is divided into two volumes, comprising twenty-two chapters. The first volume contains ten chapters, covering topics from “Diseases of the Zang-Fu Organs, Meridians, and Sequential Disorders” to “Wind-Cold Accumulation Diseases of the Five Zang Viscera.” The second volume contains twelve chapters, covering topics from “Phlegm and Retained Fluid, Cough Diseases” to “Miscellaneous Diseases of Women.” The compilation erroneously places the three chapters “Diseases of Jaundice,” “Diseases of Palpitations, Vomiting, Epistaxis, Hemorrhage, Chest Fullness, and Stagnant Blood,” and “Diseases of Vomiting, Retching, and Diarrhea” after “Miscellaneous Diseases of Women.” Three chapters—including “Miscellaneous Therapeutic Formulas”—are missing. The annotations follow each section, focusing on analyzing pathogenesis to clarify yin-yang, cold-heat, and exterior-interior relationships; distinguishing the location of the disease, its progression, and whether it follows a favorable or unfavorable course. The formulas are transcribed verbatim without commentary. The annotations are meticulous and contain many original insights.
The author provides detailed annotations for each of Zhang Zhongjing’s entries, citing classical texts and authorities without merely following the text superficially—demonstrating his profound medical expertise. In providing annotations, he compares entries across chapters to ensure coherence; employs methods of textual synthesis and comparison to strive for the systematization and standardization of diagnosis and treatment across all chapters. He provides extensive analysis of Zhang Zhongjing’s original text, elaborating on etiology, pathogenesis, pulse manifestations, clinical manifestations, and therapeutic methods, while also offering detailed analysis of formula composition and herbal combinations—which is highly enlightening.
References:
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- 1. Zhu Guangbei: Biographical Introduction and Historical Accounts, Major Works and Academic Contributions
