Wang Shuhe: Biographical introduction and legendary stories, major works and academic contributions

 ✵Wang Xi, a talented physician, according to some records, was once a Director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine in the Jin Dynasty. He is also known as Wang Shuhe. He was a native of Gaoping and a famous physician of the late Eastern Han and West Jin periods. He was well versed in pulse-taking and was the author of the Mai Jing, or The Pulse Classic, the earliest comprehensive book on sphygmology (pulse diagnosis) to survive till today in China. He perfected and systematised the art of pulse-taking, while also emphasising the use of other disgnostic methods. He rearranged Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold-induced and Miscellaneous Diseases, thus contributing greatly to the preservation of this important classical works of medicine. Wang Shuhe was a renowned physician and master of sphygmology (pulse diagnosis) in ancient China.

王熙 (Wáng Xī).

  

Brief Introduction
Chinese Name:	王熙 (Wáng Xī)	Alias:	叔和 (Shūhé)
Popular name:	王太醫 (Wáng Tàiyī)	English Name:	Wang Shuhe, or Shuhe Wang (Given/Sur Name)
Hometown:	Gao Ping of Jin Dynasty	Dates:	about 180-270,177-255,or 177-280 A.D.
Main works:	《脈經》(Mai Jing, or the Pulse Classic),《傷寒論》(Shang Han Lun, or the Treatise on Febrile Diseases),《脈訣》(Mai Jue, or the pulse formula),《脈賦》(Mai Fu, or the poems of pulse),《脈訣機要》(Mai Jue Ji Yao, or the essential part of pulse formula), and 《小兒脈訣》(Xiao Er Mai Jue, or the pulse formula of baby).
Representative works:	Mai Jing (the Pulse Classic),Shang Han Lun (the Treatise on Febrile Diseases)

Biographical introduction and legendary stories

 Wang Xi (Wáng Xī) is a talented herbalist; his given name is Xi, and his alias is Shu He. According to ancient texts, he was from Gaoping in the Jin Dynasty (present-day Gaoping county, Shanxi Province, China). According to some records, he served as a commissioner of the Imperial Academy of Medicine during the Jin Dynasty. He is commonly known as Wang Shuhe. His dates of birth and death are unknown, but they are estimated to be approximately 180-270, 177-255, 210-285, or 177-280 CE. He was a renowned physician who lived during the late Eastern Han and Western Jin periods. He was well-versed in pulse diagnosis and is the author of Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic), the earliest comprehensive treatise on sphygmology (pulse diagnosis), which remains widely applied in China today. Wang Shuhe refined and systematized pulse diagnosis and emphasized other diagnostic methods. He reorganized Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold-induced and Miscellaneous Diseases, thereby making an immense contribution to the preservation of pivotal medical texts. Wang Shuhe was a distinguished physician and master of pulse diagnosis in ancient time.

 The period at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty was an era marked by widespread poverty, frequent natural disasters, and epidemic diseases. The chaos wrought by warfare rendered life extremely harsh, and Wang Shuhe spent his childhood in poverty, lacking sufficient food and clothing. This fostered in him, from an early age, a studious, modest, and quiet disposition. He developed a deep passion for medicine and read numerous ancient medical texts. Gradually, he mastered the art of pulse diagnosis and disease treatment. When he began practicing medicine at a young age, people looked down upon him due to his impoverished family background and shabby attire. He had to carry his medicine chest and wander from place to place, often without shelter or regular meals. Because of his dedicated research into pulse diagnosis, he gradually cured many difficult local cases. The number of patients seeking his treatment increased steadily, and his reputation gradually spread throughout the city of Luoyang. At the age of thirty-two, he was appointed chief physician at the imperial medical bureau of the Wei Kingdom. The imperial medical bureau housed many renowned medical books from previous dynasties. Wang Shuhe leveraged his position as an imperial physician to study extensively from these works, laying a solid foundation for his later medical practice.

Major works and academic contributions

 Wang Shuhe was a highly knowledgeable physician and scholar, and he made two significant contributions to the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). One was editing the surviving manuscripts of Zhang Zhongjing’s classics, and the other was compiling the Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic). Wang Shuhe was acquainted with the famous literary figure Wang Can (王粲, Wáng Càn) and the physician Wei Xun (衛汛, Wèi Xùn). In his youth, Wang Shuhe had broad intellectual interests and thoroughly studied the major schools of ancient Chinese philosophy. Due to frequent warfare in the northern region, social conditions became chaotic. To avoid the turmoil of war, he migrated to the Jingzhou area with his family. While living in Jingzhou, he met Wei Xun, a disciple of Zhang Zhongjing. Although Wang Shuhe did not study directly under Zhang Zhongjing—who had died around 210 A.D.—he gained access to Zhang’s teachings through Wei Xun and was deeply influenced by them. He developed a strong interest in classical prescriptions and became an expert in both their application and the etiology of diseases. Wang Shuhe learned from the strengths of others, and his clinical skill improved steadily. In the 13th year of the Jian’an era (208 A.D.), Wang Shuhe and Wang Can served under Cao Cao. In the 18th year of the Jian’an era (213 A.D.), Cao Cao was enfeoffed as King of Wei, and Wang Can was appointed Privy Counselor. Wang Shuhe was appointed Director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine of the Wei state.

 Wang Shuhe lived during the late Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms periods. After years of warfare, many bamboo slips—paper had not yet been widely adopted for writing, so texts were inscribed on slips—were scattered, lost, or damaged. Even Zhang Zhongjing’s treatise, completed a few decades earlier, suffered the same fate. As court physician to the Wei state and later the Jin dynasty, Wang Shuhe recognized the importance of this work and was determined to reconstruct it as faithfully as possible. He began gathering the surviving bamboo slips of Zhang Zhongjing’s text and searching for authoritative versions. Ultimately, he compiled and edited these materials into a coherent edition. The resulting work is now known as the Shang Han Lun (The Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases).

 In view of the scattered and disorderly pulse-related literature and materials in history, whose contents were inconsistent and difficult to learn and use, Wang Shuhe tried to systematize those pieces of literature about pulse from previous generations. Finally, he compiled the book Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic). Mai Jing is composed of ten volumes and ninety-eight chapters, totaling over 100,000 words. It provides records of the sections and methods of pulse-taking. Most of the study results in this book came from books such as the Nei Jing (the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), the Nan Jing (the Classic of Difficult Issues), and the Shang Han Za Bing Lun (the Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases). This book also includes the pulse studies of ancient physicians Bian Que, Chun Yu Yi, and Hua Tuo. Wang Shuhe combined the experiences of different schools and his own clinical experience to create new content and compile it in a unique way. He classified various pulse manifestations into 24 types: floating pulse, gaseous pulse, surging pulse, slippery pulse, rapid pulse, abrupt pulse, taut pulse, rordy pulse, deep pulse, deep-sited pulse, leather pulse, forceful pulse, faint pulse, hesitant pulse, thready pulse, soft pulse, weak pulse, feeble pulse, scattered pulse, moderate pulse, retarded pulse, knotted pulse, intermittent pulse, and stirred pulse. He listed them one by one with simple, clear notes. Later generations of physicians further developed these pulse manifestations into 26, 27, 28, 30, and 32 types. However, these common, basic pulse conditions do not go beyond the scope of this classical book. Wang Shuhe provided detailed descriptions of the characteristics and representative diseases of each pulse manifestation, as well as the detailed pathological changes according to the five Zang viscera and six Fu viscera, Yin and Yang, Ying Qi and Wei Qi. His descriptions were vivid and appropriate, and very practical. He also made comparisons with a normal pulse (or the pulse of a healthy person). The ancient pulse-taking method involved nine readings at three sections: the common carotid artery (Renying), the wrist pulse (Cunkou), and the anterior tibial artery (Dieyang). Three readings were taken at each section, for a total of nine readings. The complicated procedure required patients to remove their outer clothing and stockings, which was inconvenient for diagnosis. Wang Shuhe simplified the ancient method by introducing the wrist pulse-taking method, which only required taking the pulse at the wrists to accurately assess the patient's overall health. After almost 2,000 years of clinical practice by generations of physicians, this method is still used and has proven effective. Wang Shuhe's new pulse-taking method is a great success, reflecting his profound knowledge, courage, and insight. The book Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic) is a significant achievement in the history of ancient Chinese medicine. Wang Shuhe was publicly revered as the "Pulse Ancestor".

 To help later generations better understand the contents of the Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic), Wang Shuhe wrote four additional books: Mai Jue (The Pulse Formula), Mai Fu (The Poems of Pulse), Mai Jue Ji Yao (The Essential Pulse Formula), and Xiao Er Mai Jue (The Infant Pulse Formula). These works were of great significance to the transmission of the Medical Canon. Wang Shuhe was a meticulous physician and scholar. He devoted himself to collating the medical theories of renowned physicians who preceded him, ensuring their preservation and transmission across generations. Otherwise, during the era of war and chaos, if those texts had been lost, all the efforts of their authors would have vanished forever. According to the historical text Gao Ping Xian Zhi (Gao Ping County Annals), Wang Shuhe compiled the following works: "Wang Shuhe of Jin — Jin Kui Yu Han, 8 juan; Mai Jing (Pulse Classics), 10 juan; Mai Jue (Pulse Formulas), 4 juan; Mai Fu (Pulse Poems), 3 juan; Hai Zi Mai Lun (Pulse Treatise on Infants), 1 juan; Mai Jue Ji Yao (Essential Pulse Formula), 3 juan; Zhang Zhongjing Yao Fang (Prescriptions of Zhang Zhongjing), 15 juan; Shang Han Lun Zu Bing Lun, 10 juan; and Jin Kui Yao Lue Fang, 3 juan." According to modern biographers and TCM researchers, Wang Shuhe also wrote other works: Mai Jue Tu Yao (Essential Illustrations of Pulse Formula), 6 juan, Mai Fu (Pulse Poems), 1 juan; Mai Jue Fa Meng (Introduction to Pulse Formulas), 3 juan; and Lun Bing (Discourse on Diseases), 6 juan. All four of these works are now lost.

 The book Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic) has been widely known since its publication. During the Song Dynasty, the version handed down was supplemented and revised by Lin Yi and other scholars of the Jiao Zheng Yi Shu Ju (the Bureau for Revising Medical Books). It was rearranged into 10 volumes and 97 chapters and published in the first year of the Xi Ning reign (1068 A.D., Xi Ning is the reign title of Emperor Shen Zong of the Song Dynasty). This edition is known as the large-type carved edition of the Song Dynasty and is the ancestor of all later printed versions. A brief introduction to the main contents follows:

 (1) The first volume discusses methods of pulse-taking and the twenty-four types of pulse manifestations.

 (2) The second volume explains the pulse manifestations of the different pulse-locations commonly examined: Guan Qian, Guan Hou, Cunkou, Ren Ying, and Shen Men. It also explains related properties of Yin and Yang, changes of deficiency or excess, and pathological changes of the corresponding Zang and Fu viscera. It covers the principal diseases associated with the Cun-Guan-Chi pulses and those linked to the eight extraordinary meridians.

 (3) The third volume discusses normal, abnormal, and fatal pulses of the Zang and Fu viscera.

 (4) The fourth volume explains the nine readings (nine levels) of the three pulse sections and the pulse manifestations of miscellaneous diseases. It also covers the principal abnormal pulses observed at the three Cunkou sections.

 (5) The fifth volume records pulse-related literature from ancient physicians Zhang Zhongjing, Hua Tuo, and Bian Que.

 (6) The sixth volume records and explains the pulse syndromes associated with the twelve regular meridians.

 (7) The seventh volume records and explains the contraindications and indications of various treatment methods, including diaphoresis, emesis, purgation, warming therapies, acupuncture and moxibustion.

 (8) The eighth volume records and explains the pulse syndromes of miscellaneous diseases.

 (9) The ninth volume records the pulse syndromes related to pregnancy, the postpartum period, and pediatrics.

 (10) The tenth volume records the content under the title “Shou Jian Tu Er Shi Yi Bu” and discusses the appearance and syndromes of the twelve regular meridians, the eight extraordinary meridians, the three pulse sections, and the twenty-four pulses.

 The main contents of the Pulse Classic derive from pre-Wei and Jin dynasty literature on pulse diagnosis. Some sections are original contributions by Wang Shuhe, and the references are mainly drawn from Nei Jing (The Inner Canon), Nan Jing (The Difficult Classic), Shang Han Lun (The Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases), Mai Fa Zan (Comments on Pulse Methods), and Si Shi Jing (Classics of the Four Seasons). Some content incorporates discussions on pulse diagnosis by Bian Que, Hua Tuo, and Zhang Zhongjing. Wang Shuhe's Mai Jing (Pulse Classic) rendered abstruse knowledge more accessible for study and practice; it is a landmark monograph and a major contribution to the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

 Wang Shuhe also held some incisive views on health maintenance. His theory of health maintenance constitutes the earliest known Chinese systematic approach to dietetics. He proposed four principles for longevity: avoid overly complex diets, overeating, and excessive drinking; avoid certain foods, adjust dietary intake according to the four seasons; and tailor diets to individual constitutions. Dietary choices should be made before eating: one must screen out harmful elements and retain beneficial ones. One should never exceed the appropriate portion size—even for delicious food. From the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox, one should consume less greasy food; otherwise, climatic changes may trigger various illnesses, even death.

 In his later years, Wang Shuhe resigned from office and returned to Xiangyang, where he built a residence in a beautiful small village and treated local people. Owing to his exemplary medical ethics and exceptional clinical skill, the local populace held him in high esteem and hailed him as a "miracle physician." Around 270 A.D., Wang Shuhe passed away. His descendants buried him in the Medicine King Mountain cemetery. Others whom he had treated and saved built a cenotaph in his honor at the foot of Xianshan Mountain. Eighteen hundred years later—up to the present day—his tomb remains standing and continues to be venerated by generations of Chinese people.

References:

• 1.Wang Shuhe: Biographical introduction and legendary stories, major works and academic contributions
• 2.Gao Ping Xian Zhi: Gao Ping County Annals.

 Edited:May 18th, 2020