Wang Shuhe: introduction about his biography and legend,main books and academic thoughts.
✵Wang Xi, a talented herbalist, according to some records, was once a commissioner of the Imperial Academy of Medicine in the Jin Dynasty. He is also known as Wang Shuhe. He was a native of Gao Ping and a famous herbalist of the late 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 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 herbalist 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)
Biography and legends:
王熙 (Wáng Xī) is a talented herbalist, his given name is 熙 (Xī), and his alias is Shu He. According to ancient books, he was from Gao Ping in the Jin Dynasty (present-day Gao Ping county, Shanxi, China). According to some records, he was a commissioner of the Imperial Academy of Medicine during the Jin Dynasty. He is commonly known as Wang Shuhe. His date of birth and death are unknown, but his years ware possibly around 180-270, 177-255, or 210-285, or 177-280 A.D. He was a famous herbalist who lived during the late Han and West Jin periods. He was well-versed in pulse-taking and is the author of Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic), the earliest comprehensive book on sphygmology, which is now applied extensively in China. Wang Shuhe perfected and systematized pulse-taking and emphasized other methods of diagnosis. He rearranged Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold-induced and Miscellaneous Diseases, thus contributing greatly to the preservation of important medical texts. Wang Shuhe was a renowned herbalist and master of sphygmology in ancient China.
The period at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty was an era of mass impoverishment, frequent natural disasters, and epidemic diseases. The chaos caused by war made life harsh, and Wang Shuhe spent his childhood in poverty, without enough food or clothing. This made him develop a studious, modest, and quiet character from an early age. He was particularly fond of medicine and read many ancient medical books. He gradually learned the art of pulse diagnosis and disease treatment. When he began practicing medicine at a young age, people looked down on him because of his poor family and shabby clothes. He had to carry his medicine chest and wander about; often, he lived without board or lodging. Because he researched the pulse, he gradually cured many difficult local cases. The number of people asking him for treatment grew, as did his reputation, which gradually spread throughout the city of Luoyang. At thirty-two years of age, he was elected chief physician at the Young Mansion of the Wei Kingdom. The young mansion had many famous medical books from past dynasties. Wang Shuhe took advantage of his position as an imperial physician to read many of these books, which laid a solid foundation for his later practice.
Main books and academic thoughts:
Wang Shuhe was a highly knowledgeable herbalist, and he made two significant contributions to the development of TCM. One was editing the surviving copies of Zhang Zhongjing's classics, and the other was compiling the Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic). Wang Shuhe was friends with the famous litterateur Wang Can (王粲 Wáng Càn) and Wei Xun (衛汛 Wèi Xùn). When young, Wang Shuhe had a broad range of hobbies and thoroughly studied and understood the different schools of ancient philosophy. Due to frequent wars in the northern region, the situation became chaotic. To avoid war, he migrated to the Jinzhou area with his family. While living in Jinzhou, he met Wei Xun, a disciple of Zhang Zhongjing. He had the opportunity to learn from Zhang Zhongjing and was deeply influenced by him. He developed a strong interest in studying classical prescriptions and became an expert in them and the sources of diseases. Wang Shuhe learned from the strengths of others, and his healing art improved day by day. In the 13th year of the Jian'an period (208 A.D.), Wang Shuhe and Wang Càn followed Cáo Cāo. In the 18th year of the Jian'an period (213 A.D.), Cao Cao was crowned King of Wei, and Wang Càn was appointed as Privy Counselor. Wang Shuhe was appointed Commissioner of the Imperial Academy of Medicine of Wei.
Wang Shuhe lived during the end of the East Han and Three Kingdom periods. After years of war, many bamboo slips—there was no paper yet, so books were written on slips—were scattered, lost, or mutilated. Even Zhang Zhongjing's book, completed a few decades earlier, suffered the same fate. As the court physician of the Wei Kingdom and Jin Dynasty, Wang Shuhe recognized the importance of this book and was determined to restore these masterpieces to their original state. He started gathering the surviving slips of Zhang Zhongjing's book and searching for an original copy. Finally, he obtained copies of the book and tried to edit them. The book is now known as 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 are 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 pieces, 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 herbalists Bian Que, Chun Yuyi and Hua Tuo. Wang Shuhe combined the experiences of different schools and his own clinical experiences 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 herbalists ever 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 viscera and six entrails, Yin 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 of three sections: the common carotid artery (Renying), the wrist pulse (Cunkou), and the anterior tibial artery (Dieyang). Take the pulse three times in one section, total nine readings. The complicated procedure required patients to remove their clothes 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 on wrists to accurately assess the patient's overall health. After almost 2,000 years of clinical practice by generations of herbalists, this method is still used and has proven effective. Wang Shuhe's new pulse-taking method is a great success, composed of his great 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 worshiped as the pulse ancestor.
To help the later generations better understand the contents of Mai Jing, Wang Shuhe wrote four additional books: Mai Jue (The Pulse Formula), Mai Fu (The Poems of Pulse), Mai Jue Ji Yao (The Essential Part of Pulse Formula), and Xiao Er Mai Jue (The Pulse Formula of a Baby). These books were of great significance to the circulation of the Medical Canon. Wang Shuhe was a meticulous herbalist and author. He concentrated on sorting through the theories of famous herbalists before him, ensuring that they would be preserved and handed down from generation to generation. Otherwise, during the era of war and chaos, if those books had been lost, all of their authors' efforts would have been lost forever. According to historical literature Gao Ping Xian Zhi (Gao Ping County Annals), Wang Shuhe left behind these works: "Wang Shuhe of Jin, Jin Kui Yu Han, 8 volumes, Mai Jing (Pulse Classics), 10 volumes, Mai Jue (Pulse Formulas), 4 volumes, Mai Fu (Pulse Poems), 3 volumes, Hai Zi Mai Lun (Pulse Formula of a Baby), 1 volume, Mai Jue Ji Yao (Essential Part of Pulse Formula), 3 volumes, Zhang Zhongjing Yao Fang (Prescriptions of Zhang Zhongjing), 15 volumes, Shang Han Lun Zu Bing Lun, 10 volumes, Jin Kui Yao Lue Fang, 3 volumes." According to modern biographers and TCM researchers, Wang Shuhe wrote other works as well: Mai Jue Tu Yao (The Essential Graphs of Pulse Formulas), 6 volumes, Mai Fu (The Poems of Pulse), 1 volume; Mai Jue Fa Meng (Enlightenment of Pulse Formulas), 3 volumes; and Lun Bing (Thesis on Diseases), 6 volumes. These four kinds of works are all 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 herbalists of the Jiao Zheng Yi Shu Ju (the Bureau for Revising Medical Books). It was rearranged into 10 volumes and 97 articles and published in the first year of the Xi Ning regin (Xi Ning is the reign title of Emperor Shen Zong, Song, 1068 A.D.). This edition is known as the large-type carving copy of the Song Dynasty and is the ancestor of all later printed versions. A brief introduction to the main contents follows: The first volume discusses methods of taking pulses and the twenty-four types of pulse manifestations. The second volume explains the pulse manifestations of the different areas where pulses are usually taken: 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 related Zang and Fu viscera. It covers the main diseases of the Cun-Guan-Chi pulses and the main diseases of the eight extraordinary meridians. The third volume discusses normal, abnormal, and dead pulses of the Zang and Fu viscera. The fourth volume explains the nine readings of the three sections and the pulse manifestations of miscellaneous diseases. It also covers the main abnormal pulses of the Cunkou three sections. The fifth volume records literature on pulses from the ancient herbalists Zhang Zhongjing, Hua Tuo, and Bian Que. The sixth volume recorded and explained the pulse syndromes of the twelve meridians. The seventh volume recorded and explained the contraindications and adaptations of various treatment methods, including diaphoresis, emesis, purgative, warm, acupuncture and moxibustion. The eighth volume recorded and explained the pulse syndromes of miscellaneous diseases. The ninth volume recorded the pulse syndromes of pregnancy, postpartum and pediatrics. The tenth volume recorded the content under the title "Shou Jian Tu Er Shi Yi Bu" and discusses the appearance and syndromes of the twelve meridians, the eight extraordinary meridians, the three sections, and the twenty-four pulses. The main contents of the Pulse Classic come from literature on pulses and diagnosis from before the Wei and Jin periods. Some parts are articles by Wang Shuhe, and the references are mainly from the books 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 of the content is discussions about pulse methods from Bian Que, Hua Tuo, and Zhang Zhongjing. Wang Shuhe's Mai Jing (Pulse Classic) made the abstruse knowledge easier to learn and understand. It is appropriate for practice and an epoch-making monograph and a great contribution to TCM history.
Wang Shuhe also held some very incisive opinions about health maintenance. His theory of health maintenance was the earliest Chinese system to address diet. He proposed four tips for longevity: avoid complicated diets, polyphagia, and polydipsia; avoid certain foods, differentiate diets for the four seasons; and choose diets according to different persons. Diet choices should be made before eating. The diet should screen out the bad and keep the good. A person should not eat more than the proper volume, even for delicious food. From the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox, one should eat less greasy food. Otherwise, climate change will induce a variety of diseases, even death.
In his later years, Wang Shuhe resigned and returned to Xiangyang, where he built a house in a beautiful small village and saved the local people. Due to his respectable medical ethics and high skill level, the local people respected him and called him a miracle physician. Around 270 A.D., Wang Shuhe passed away. His descendants buried him in the Medicine King Mountain cemetery. Other people he had cared for and saved also built a cenotaph in his honor at the foot of Xianshan Mountain. Eighteen hundred years later till today, his tomb still stands and is worshiped by generations of Chinese people.
References:
1.Wang Shuhe: introduction about his biography and legend,main books and academic thoughts.
✵Wang Xi, a talented herbalist, according to some records, was once a commissioner of the Imperial Academy of Medicine in the Jin Dynasty. He is also known as Wang Shuhe. He was a native of Gao Ping and a famous herbalist of the late 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 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 herbalist and master of sphygmology (pulse diagnosis) in ancient China.
王熙 (Wáng Xī) is a talented herbalist, his given name is 熙 (Xī), and his alias is Shu He. According to ancient books, he was from Gao Ping in the Jin Dynasty (present-day Gao Ping county, Shanxi, China). According to some records, he was a commissioner of the Imperial Academy of Medicine during the Jin Dynasty. He is commonly known as Wang Shuhe. His date of birth and death are unknown, but his years ware possibly around 180-270, 177-255, or 210-285, or 177-280 A.D. He was a famous herbalist who lived during the late Han and West Jin periods. He was well-versed in pulse-taking and is the author of Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic), the earliest comprehensive book on sphygmology, which is now applied extensively in China. Wang Shuhe perfected and systematized pulse-taking and emphasized other methods of diagnosis. He rearranged Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold-induced and Miscellaneous Diseases, thus contributing greatly to the preservation of important medical texts. Wang Shuhe was a renowned herbalist and master of sphygmology in ancient China.
Wang Shuhe was a highly knowledgeable herbalist, and he made two significant contributions to the development of TCM. One was editing the surviving copies of Zhang Zhongjing's classics, and the other was compiling the Mai Jing (The Pulse Classic). Wang Shuhe was friends with the famous litterateur Wang Can (王粲 Wáng Càn) and Wei Xun (衛汛 Wèi Xùn). When young, Wang Shuhe had a broad range of hobbies and thoroughly studied and understood the different schools of ancient philosophy. Due to frequent wars in the northern region, the situation became chaotic. To avoid war, he migrated to the Jinzhou area with his family. While living in Jinzhou, he met Wei Xun, a disciple of Zhang Zhongjing. He had the opportunity to learn from Zhang Zhongjing and was deeply influenced by him. He developed a strong interest in studying classical prescriptions and became an expert in them and the sources of diseases. Wang Shuhe learned from the strengths of others, and his healing art improved day by day. In the 13th year of the Jian'an period (208 A.D.), Wang Shuhe and Wang Càn followed Cáo Cāo. In the 18th year of the Jian'an period (213 A.D.), Cao Cao was crowned King of Wei, and Wang Càn was appointed as Privy Counselor. Wang Shuhe was appointed Commissioner of the Imperial Academy of Medicine of Wei.
Wang Shuhe lived during the end of the East Han and Three Kingdom periods. After years of war, many bamboo slips—there was no paper yet, so books were written on slips—were scattered, lost, or mutilated. Even Zhang Zhongjing's book, completed a few decades earlier, suffered the same fate. As the court physician of the Wei Kingdom and Jin Dynasty, Wang Shuhe recognized the importance of this book and was determined to restore these masterpieces to their original state. He started gathering the surviving slips of Zhang Zhongjing's book and searching for an original copy. Finally, he obtained copies of the book and tried to edit them. The book is now known as 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 are 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 pieces, 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 herbalists Bian Que, Chun Yuyi and Hua Tuo. Wang Shuhe combined the experiences of different schools and his own clinical experiences 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 herbalists ever 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 viscera and six entrails, Yin 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 of three sections: the common carotid artery (Renying), the wrist pulse (Cunkou), and the anterior tibial artery (Dieyang). Take the pulse three times in one section, total nine readings. The complicated procedure required patients to remove their clothes 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 on wrists to accurately assess the patient's overall health. After almost 2,000 years of clinical practice by generations of herbalists, this method is still used and has proven effective. Wang Shuhe's new pulse-taking method is a great success, composed of his great 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 worshiped as the pulse ancestor.
In his later years, Wang Shuhe resigned and returned to Xiangyang, where he built a house in a beautiful small village and saved the local people. Due to his respectable medical ethics and high skill level, the local people respected him and called him a miracle physician. Around 270 A.D., Wang Shuhe passed away. His descendants buried him in the Medicine King Mountain cemetery. Other people he had cared for and saved also built a cenotaph in his honor at the foot of Xianshan Mountain. Eighteen hundred years later till today, his tomb still stands and is worshiped by generations of Chinese people.
