Discussion of Cold Damage with Commentaries for the Clinic

This book is a new translation and annotated guide to the text and clinical applications of Zhang Zhong-Jing’s Discussion of Cold Damage (Shäng hán lùn), which since the 3rd century has been the most important classical reference for treating externally-contracted diseases in traditional East Asian medicine. The core of the book are translations of the 398 main paragraphs of the Song dynasty edition (11th century), which covers tài yáng, yáng míng, shào yáng, tài yīn, shào yīn, jué yīn as well as sudden turmoil, yin-yang exchange, and relapse after recovery due to consumption. Each entry begins with the original text of the paragraph in Chinese and its translation. This is followed by an explanation of the text and its significance, touching upon the specific clinical relevance of the passage as well as background issues. For paragraphs that include herbal formulas, the original Chinese is presented together with a translation and brief explanation of the composition. Methods of preparation, both original and modern, are included. A distinguishing feature of this book are the commentaries that are provided for each paragraph, selected from amongst the most respected scholar-practitioners on the Discussion of Cold Damage during the past thousand years. The reader is thereby given direct access to how prominent physicians have interacted with this text in the past, illuminating some of the more practical approaches to it. Carefully selected case histories are appended to relevant paragraphs to help the reader gain further insight into the clinical utility of the formulas they contain. Throughout the book the authors, both of whom are practitioners with many decades of experience in Chinese medicine, provide their own comments about issues raised in the text. This includes textual interpretation as well as discussion of the clinical aspects of the paragraphs. There is also a glossary, table of people noted in the text, bibliography, and full index.