Nanjing benyi 難經本義

Nanjing benyi 難經本義 "The genuine meaning of the Book on Difficult Diseases" is a medical book compiled during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368) by Hua Shou 滑壽 (1304-1386), courtesy name Boren 伯仁, style Yingning 攖寧, from Xuzhou 許州. He hailed from a scholar-official family and specialised in medicine. Hua belong to the famous physicians of the time, like Wang Juzhong 王居中 and Wang Tongyang 高洞陽. He also wrote the books Shisi jing fahui 十四經發揮 and Du Suwen chao 讀素問鈔.

Hua's Nanjing benyi is a commentary an on an older, anonymous book on medical problems called Nanjing 難經 "Book on difficult diseases", which is traditionally attributed to Qin Yueren 秦越人, better known as Bian Que 扁鵲 (c. 500 BCE). He was highly skilled in gynecology, pediatrics, otolaryngology, and various branches of internal and external Chinese medicine. His pulse diagnosis was extraordinarily accurate, and his fame spread throughout the land. The Nanjing is one of the classic medical texts of ancient China. It was likely written after the famous "Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor" (Huangdi neijing 黃帝內經) but before the "Treatise on cold damage and miscellaneous diseases (Shanghanlun 傷寒論), placing its origin between the Warring States 戰國 (5th cent.-221 BCE) and the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE).

The Nanjing was first recorded in bibliographies during Tang period 唐 (618-907). During the Three Empires period 三國 (220~280 CE), Lü Guang 呂廣, an imperial physician of the state of Wu 吳 (222/229-280), is said to have written a commentary on the Nanjing, but that version has been lost. In the Tang period, Zhang Shoujie 張守節 (fl. 725-735), in his commentary on the Shiji 史記, specifically in the biography of Bian Que, cited the Nanjing in a form that matches entirely with the version annotated by Hua Shou, suggesting that Hua Shou's version was based on an ancient source.

Although many scholars have written commentaries on the Nanjing, none of their versions have survived. Hua Shou's annotation draws from the interpretations of eleven earlier scholars, and as a result, not only did his version ensure the survival of this book, but it also preserved a wealth of perspectives from now-lost commentaries across different periods. Hua Shou synthesized these various viewpoints with his own insights. His work is marked by clear reasoning, incisive argumentation, and meticulous textual analysis and verification. Hua's commentary is structured around 81 "difficult issues" concerning the theories found in the Neijing, each posed as a question and followed by discussion. The content covers a wide range of topics but explains them with remarkable conciseness and clarity. Most chapters focus on issues related to pulse diagnosis, meridians, and internal organs. The Nanjing has had a profound and lasting influence on traditional Chinese medical theory, especially in the field of pulse diagnostics.

The Nanjing benyi was first published in the collection Yiyao jilan 醫要集覽. It is also included in the series Gujin yitong zhengmai quanshu 古今醫統正脈全書 and Isson sōsho 佚存叢書. Modern editions were published in 1956 by the Shangwu Yinshuguan 商務印書館, and in 1987 by the Jiangsu Keji Chubanshe 江蘇科技出版社.