Contents
Editor's Preface
Preface to the Recollated Hua Shi Zhong Zang Jing
Preface by Deng Chu-zhong
Book One
1 On Humanity in Compliance with the Laws of Heaven & Earth
2 On the Essentials of Yin & Yang and the Balance of the Spirit
3 On Generation & Development
4 On Yang Inversion
5 On Yin Inversion
6 On Block & Repellence of Yin & Yang
7 On Cold & Heat
8 On the Essentials of Vacuity & Repletion
9 On Disquietude Both Above & Below
10 On the Essentials of the Pulse
11 On The Pive Colors & Pulses
12 On The Pulse as Prognosticative of External &
Internal Disease Patterns
13 On the Essentials of (Determining) Life & Death
14 On the Disastrous & Aberrant Changes of Disease
15 On The Six Water (Treatment) Methods
16 On the Five Fire (Treatment) Methods
17 On the Five Kinds of Windstroke and Life & Death (Caused by Them)
18 On Accumulations & Gatherings, Concertions & Conglomerations, and Miscellaneous Worms
19 On Taxation Injuries
20 On Cadaverous Transmission (i.e. Consumptive Disease)
21 On the Methods (for Examining for) Vacuity & Repletion, Cold & Heat, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Conditions) Related to the Five Viscera & Six Bowels
22 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Pavorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Liver
23 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Gallbladder
24 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Heart25 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Small Intestine
26 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Spleen
27 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Stomach,
28 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Lungs
29 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Large Intestine
Book Two
30 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Kidneys
31 On the Methods of "Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Urinary Bladder
32 On the Methods of (Examining) the Pulse & Signs for Vacuity & Repletion, Hot & Cold, Life & Death, Favorable & Unfavorable (Prognosis) in Relationship to the Triple Burner
33 On Bi
34 On Qi Bi
35 On Blood Bi
36 On Flesh Bi
37 On Sinew Bi
38 On Bone Bi
39 On the Treatment Methods for Wind Stroke & One-sided withering
40 On the Signs & Manifestations of the Pive Types of Clove Sores
41 On Yong & Ju, Sores & Swellings
42 On the Different Signs & Manifestations of Weak Foot
On the Pulses & ManifestationsWhich Prognosticate Life & Death in Water Swelling
44 On Various Kinds of Strangury & Inhibited Urination
45 On the Plusses and Minuses of Taking Medicinals
46 On Identifying the Three Kinds of Glomus With an Appendix of Formulas
47 On Mortal Signs Due to Inappropriate Treatment of Various Diseases
48 On Examining the Mortal Signs in Miscellaneous Diseases
49 Methods for Determining Life & Death by Examining Sounds, Colors, & Formal Manifestations
Book Three
Sixty-eight Formulas for Various Diseases
General Index
Formula Index
Sample
An excerpt from Master Hua's Classic of the Central Viscera
Preface
This book is an English language version of Hua Shi Zhong Zang Jing (Master Hua's Classic of the Central Viscera). The Master Hua alluded to in the title is none other than the famous Hua Tuo. Hua Tuo is to Chinese, perhaps, the single best known of all Chinese doctors throughout history. More well-known as a folk hero than the Yellow Emperor, Bian Que, or Zhang Zhong-jing, every Chinese person can tell at least one story about Hua Tuo.
Hua Tuo was born in Hao County in Anhui Province. His year of birth is most often given as 110 ce. Hua Tuo studied and mastered various classics but especially bent his attention to matters of medicine and health. He studied formally under the famous physician Xu Zhou and tirelessly continued his medical studies by himself. Eventually, Hua obtained profound medical knowledge in a number of specialties, including internal medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, acupuncture, and surgery. In fact, Hua Tuo is credited with being the first surgeon in the history of the world to do intra-abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. More formulas contain Hua's name than probably any other single Chinese doctor formulas such as Hua Tuo Shen Gao (Hua Tuo's Divine Paste), Hua Tuo Tong Bian Fang (Hua Tuo's Free the Stools Formula), and Hua Tuo Bai Xue Dan (Hua Tuo's White Snow Elixir). In addition, other famous formulas such as Shi Xiao San (Excite Laughter Powder) and An Tai Fang (Calm the Fetus Formula) are believed to have been composed by Hua even though his name does not appear as part of theirs.
Hua Tuo is also credited with creating the Five Animal Frolics. This is a system of qi gong based on mimicking the movements of five different animals. It is believed that its regular practice can prevent disease and prolong life. It is perhaps the oldest continually practiced system of qi gong in the world today. Another creation of Hua's was a system of self-massage and stretching to limber up the joints. This was a series of specific movements done in a set regime. Further, Hua Tuo is believed to have been the first doctor to recommend bleeding Wei Zhong (Bl 40) for the treatment of various ailments including low back pain.
Aficionados of the Chinese martial arts are likely to be familiar with the story of the great general Guan Yu. Pierced by a poisoned arrow in his arm during a battle, General Guan calmly sat playing chess as he allowed a surgeon to clean his flesh down to the bone to remove necrosis. This event is a popular historical subject in Chinese art. The doctor who performed this surgery was none other than Hua Tuo. However, although Hua Tuo was the best known doctor of his day, even being called a shen yi or divine physician, he did not seek fame or fortune. When Prime Minister Chen Gui-zeng of Pei and Minister of Defense Huang Wan recommended and tried to persuade Hua to assume government position, Hua Tuo refused. Rather he preferred tending to the medical needs of the people of Jiangsu and Shandong.
As we will see when reading the book contained herein, Hua Tuo's practice was characterized by economy. He tended to use only a very few medicinals per formula or acupoints per treatment even in complex and critical diseases. This seems to go along with Hua's straightforward and even blunt character. These traits also contributed to Hua's death in 207. Called to treat the despot Cao Cao who was suffering from headaches, Hua diagnosed a brain tumor and straightforwardly recommended brain surgery. Cao Cao thought that this was a ruse in order to assassinate him on the operating table and had Hua Tuo thrown in prison and eventually executed. And that brings us to the history of this book.
Whenever a Chinese tells a story about Hua Tuo, they not infrequently conclude with the statement, "Isn't it a pity that such a great doctor did not leave behind any written records of his theories and techniques?" And usually the listeners of this tale will shake their heads in centuries old agreement. This is because, for a thousand years or more, Chinese scholars have been unanimous in their belief that Hua Tuo burned all his books while in prison. The story goes that just before his execution, Hua asked his jailer to become his disciple and receive from him his written medical testament, saying that the material it contained would save many lives. However, being himself afraid of Cao Cao and behaving somewhat analogously to Simon Peter on the night of Christ's crucifixion, the jailer refused the offer. At that, Hua Tuo asked the jailer to bring him some fire and consigned the writings to the flames. Thus it has been repeated over and over by generation after generation that Hua Tuo burned all his books before his death.
