[<i>Huangdi Neijing</i> and <i>Huangdi Waijin</i> g compiled in the Western Zhou]

Author: J W Li1
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> China Institute for History of Medicine and Medical Literature, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Conference/Journal: Zhonghua Yi Shi Za Zhi
Date published: 2021 Jan 28
Other: Volume ID: 51 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 43-49 , Special Notes: doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112155-20200928-00154. , Word Count: 261


There are 18 volumes of Huangdi Neijing(, Inner Canon of Huangdi) and 37 volumes of Waijing in Hanshu:Yiwenzhi. Base on Huangfu Mi's preface to Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing(, Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), "Now there are Classic of Acupuncture and Plain Questions that are Neijing", and researchers think Huangdi Waijing has been lost for a long time. However, the study of historical records shows that with the gradual loss of records in Huangdi Neijing and Huangdi Waijing, the inheritance of Huangdi Suwen and Huangdi Zhenjing has become increasingly clear. From the bibliography of Yiwenzhi of Qingshi Gao, Suwen and Lingshu were undoubtedly two books. According to the development process of ancient Chinese society, the medical system of Zhou Dynasty, the achievements of Yiyin medicine, and the evolution of doctors' Appellations of "Wu"(Wizard), "Gong"(craftsman) and "Yi"(physician), this paper thinks that Huangdi Neijing and Huangdi Waijing can only be written in the Western Zhou Dynasty, while the state power was highly concentrated, not in the Warring States period. Huangdi Neijing was probably written in response to the needs of "disease medicine" and "food medicine" of the Zhou Dynasty. Its inheriting writing is the current edition of plain questions, covering the major internal medicine system; Huangdi Waijing is likely to be written in response to the needs of " skin and external diseases medicine" of Zhou Dynasty, and its inheriting writing is the current version of Lingshu(, Miraculous Pivot), covering the general anatomy of the human body, acupuncture, sores, massage, guidance, etc., quite the grand surgical system.


PMID: 33794583 DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112155-20200928-00154