Preface to the Corrected Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon: Grand Basis

Since the Ancestor Dragonoriginal: 祖龍 (Zulong). A historical epithet for Qin Shi Huang (r. 221–210 BCE), the first emperor of a unified China, known for the "burning of books and burying of scholars." burned the books, the ancient records of the Three Sovereignsoriginal: 三皇 (Sanhuang). Mythical sage-kings—typically Fuxi, Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor—credited with founding Chinese civilization and medicine. were all committed to the flames. The Book of Changes of Fuxi survived by chance because it was used for divination, while the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon was spared because it concerned medicine and pharmacology.

Therefore, the "Treatise on Arts and Literature" in the History of Han listed the "Medical Canons" as the very first category of records. These are the same Basic Questionsoriginal: 素問 (Suwen). This half of the Inner Canon focuses on the philosophical and theoretical foundations of medicine, such as Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. and Spiritual Pivotoriginal: 靈樞 (Lingshu). This half focuses more on the physical body, particularly the meridian system and the practice of acupuncture. that have been passed down to the present day.

The Basic Questions discusses principles and vital energy, while the Spiritual Pivot discusses physical form and substance. These two books were originally intended to complement one another and are truly the ancestors of all medical science.

Commentators often claim that Chinese medicine focuses exclusively on principles and vital energy. For instance, the theory that "extreme cold transforms into heat, and extreme heat transforms into cold" is a most profound principle. Consequently, when treating internal conditions such as Cold Damageoriginal: 傷寒 (Shanghan). A broad category of febrile diseases caused by external pathogens. or Warm Heatoriginal: 溫熱 (Wenre). A category of infectious or seasonal diseases. illnesses, the medicine is often so effective that the disease is removed as soon as the remedy is administered. The source of this success actually stems from the Basic Questions.

Conversely, Western medicine focuses exclusively on physical form and substance. For example, they use tubes for listening to the lungs a reference to the stethoscope, instruments for measuring the throat, and mirrors for examining the eyes likely an ophthalmoscope, as well as techniques like anatomy and "needle-work" likely referring to surgery or hypodermic injections. These arts all seek ever-greater precision. Thus, in treating external conditions such as falls, injuries, or various ulcers and abscesses, they often achieve immediate results. Their source seems to emerge from...