Introduction of Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang: The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies
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✵Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies), or Qian Jin Yao Fang (The Invaluable Prescriptions) was compiled by the physician Sun Simiao at the end of the 7th century. It is a 30-volume work containing a general introduction and prescriptions from various branches of medicine, dietetics, pulse diagnosis, and acupuncture. It is known as the first renowned medical encyclopedia in China.
- Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies)
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Brief Introduction Chinese Name: 《备急千金要方》(Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang) English Name: The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies Author: ☯Sun Simiao (孫思邈,Sūn Sīmiǎo) Edition date: ca. 652 CE Introduction of Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang
The book Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies), also known as Qian Jin Yao Fang (The Invaluable Prescriptions) and abbreviated as Qian Jin Fang, is a 30-volume medical encyclopedia compiled by the physician Sun Simiao in the late 7th century. It contains a general introduction, prescriptions from various medical specialties, dietetics, pulse diagnosis, acupuncture, and more. It is recognized as the first renowned clinical medical encyclopedia in China.
The well-known work Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies) summarizes the medical achievements of the period following the Six Dynasties (i.e., the Northern and Southern Dynasties) and the Tang Dynasty. Rich in content, it stands as a celebrated classical medical text with well-balanced theoretical and practical components in Chinese medical history and has exerted significant influence on subsequent generations.
The renowned text Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, or The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies, was authored by the physician Sun Simiao and completed around 652 CE. The author wrote: "I grieve for those whose lives are cut short, who die prematurely, or who fall into dire straits. I pity the ignorant and confused, whose knowledge has deteriorated." Thus, he "extensively collected renowned works, compiled them, eliminated redundancies, and rendered the text clear and concise." He held that "human life is of utmost importance—more precious than a thousand pieces of gold—and a single prescription that saves life embodies virtue surpassing even that." Hence, the book is titled Qian Jin (“A Thousand Pieces of Gold”). It incorporates abundant medical literature from the Han, Wei, Jin, Six Dynasties, Sui, and Tang dynasties. This material is systematically classified and arranged in logical order. With Sun Simiao’s original annotations and theoretical elaborations, the work is comprehensive in scope and represents a quintessential classical medical text of the Tang Dynasty. Its influence on later developments has been profound and far-reaching.
The extant editions of Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang (The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies) include the revised Northern Song edition, the block-printed Song edition, manuscript copies dating from the Tang and Song periods, and the version included in the Daozang (Daoist Canon), among others.
References:
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- 1. Introduction of Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang: The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies
- 2. Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang: The Invaluable Prescriptions for Emergencies, by Sun Simiao
