Zhāng Zhòngjǐng:introduction about his biography and legend,main books and academic thoughts.
✵張機 (Zhāng jī), is the name of herbalist 張仲景 (Zhāng Zhòngjǐng), one of the most influential herbalists in the TCM history of China, a legendary herbalist and master of herbs both in the history of China and the history of World, a famous Taoist Priest. The history book Hou Han Shu (the Book of the Later Han, or History of the Later Han) gave no records of him, his achievements were firstly recorded in the ancient book Ming Yi Lu (the records about famous herbalists) which was written by 甘伯宗 (Gān Bózōng) of the Tang Dynasty. It recorded that: “Zhang Zhongjing, is native to Nan Yang; his name is Ji, Zhong Jing is an alias. He started to learn crafts with native herbalist Zhang Bozu, folks at that time told him his ideas and skills are refined and exceeded his master, his books are brief, essential, and profound, his method is simple but comes in details, could not be understood by those who know a little or are shallow."
張仲景(Zhāng Zhòngjǐng).
Brief Introduction
漢語名 (Chinese Name):
張機 (Zhāng Jī)
Alias:
仲景 (Zhòngjǐng)
Popular name:
張仲景(Zhāng Zhòngjǐng)
English Name:
Zhang Zhongjing, or Zhongjing Zhang (Given/Sur Name)
Hometown:
Nie Yang county, Nan Yang Jun
Dates:
about 150~219 A.D.
Main works:
《傷寒雜病論》(Shang Han Za Bing Lun, or Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases),《辨傷寒》十卷 (Bian Shang Han.10 Vols),《評病藥方》壹卷 (Ping Bing Yao Fang.1 vol),《療婦人方》二卷 (Liao Fu Ren Fang.2 vols),《五藏論》壹卷 (Wu Zang Lun.1 vol)
Representative works:
Shang Han Za Bing Lun (Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases)
Biography and legends:
張機 (Zhāng jī), is the name of herbalist 張仲景 (Zhāng Zhòngjǐng), (150?~219? A.D.), 仲景 (Zhòngjǐng) is his alias, one of the most influential herbalists in the TCM history of China, a legendary herbalist and master of herbs both in the history of China and the history of World, a famous Taoist Priest. His hometown is ancient Nan Yang Jun, Nie Yang County of the Han Dynasty (today's Zhang Zhai village, Dong Yang town, Deng County, Henan Province). At YanXi 4th year (year 161 A.D.), Zhāng jī took 張伯祖 (Zhāng Bózǔ) as his teacher, learned excellent diagnosis skills and good for treatment, was a master of classics and recipes, and was also a famous herbalist at Capital Chang'an. His books were used as the ancestor of later recipes, folks in the Han period declared that 扁鵲 (Biǎn Què), 倉公 (Cāng Gōng) could not compare with him, and 張機 (Zhāng jī) was respected by later folks as "Medical Sage". At the year 1182 A.D., herbalist 劉完素 (Liú Wánsù) recorded “Zhong Jing, inferior Sage" in his book; at the year 1526 A.D., in his book named History of Medicine, herbalist 李濂 (Lǐ Lián) recorded Zhong Jing "was elected as inferior Sage", at the year 1589 A.D., herbalist 方有執 (Fāng Yǒuzhí) recorded in his book(Shang Han Lun Tiao Bian) that “Zhong Jing was called Sage".
✧In the late years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were three eminent physicians, in history, they are briefly known as "Three Miracle Herbalists during the Jian An period", Jian An is the third reign title of the Emperor Xian Di of Han, about year 196~220 A.D., except herbalist Zhang Zhongjing, other two eminent physicians are herbalist 華佗 (Huà Tuó) and herbalist 董奉 (Dǒng Fèng).
✧The history book Hou Han Shu (the Book of the Later Han, or History of the Later Han) gave no records of him, his achievements were firstly recorded in the ancient book Ming Yi Lu (the records about famous herbalists) which was written by 甘伯宗 (Gān Bózōng) of the Tang Dynasty. It recorded that: "Zhang Zhongjing, is native to Nan Yang; his name is Ji, Zhong Jing is an alias. He started to learn crafts with native herbalist Zhang Bozu, folks at that time told him his ideas and skills are refined and exceeded his master, his books are brief, essential, and profound, his method is simple but comes in details, could not be understood by those who know a little or are shallow."
Main books and academic thoughts:
✦According to the autobiographical note of herbalist Zhang Zhongjing, those classics like Su Wen (the Plain Questions), Jiu Juan (the Spiritual Pivot), Nan Jing (the Difficult Classic), Yin Yang Da Lun, Tai Lu Yao Lu and others already widespread. Evidence from Jia Yi Jing·Xu (the Systematized Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion·Preface) showed that a professional classic about recipes and treatment named Tang Ye Jing already published. The basic classics of TCM include those basic theories, materia medica, prescriptions of Chinese materia medica, and the science of acupuncture and moxibustion were already widespread, the basic theory of medicine already came into shape and became rich and complete day by day.
✧The book Shang Han Za Bing Lun (the Treatise on Cold-induced and Miscellaneous Diseases) by Zhang Zhongjing was the first classic medical book that represented and combined "Theory, Method, Recipes, Medine" completely. In this book, herbalist Zhang Zhongjing first explains the pathological reasons of epidemic disease and miscellaneous diseases, pathological mechanisms, and treatment methods, establishing a firm theoretical basis for the clinical medicine development of later generations. The combinative theory system of Shang Han Za Bing Lun has a very high scientific level and practical value, it offers very effective treatment methods for both exogenous febrile disease and miscellaneous disease, gave long-term clinical practice guide for herbalists ever since it was published, had a big and very important influence on the development of TCM academics.
✦In the Jin Dynasty, imperial physician 王叔和 (Wáng Shūhé) collected the survival volumes of Shang Han Za Bing Lun, tried to edit and sort out them. When editing this book, Wang Shuhe found he could not edit them into 16 volumes, instead, only 10 volumes were finished. Its content is mainly about the cold-induced disease and its syndrome differentiation and treatment theory, thus he named this edition as Shang Han Lun (the Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases), in his personal famous classic Mai Jing (the Pulse Classic), Wang Shuhe (Wáng Shūhé) also collected many contents of Shang Han Lun (the Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases).
References:
1.Zhāng Zhòngjǐng:introduction about his biography and legend,main books and academic thoughts.