Xiangniu xinjing yaolan 相牛心鏡要覽

Xiangniu xinjing yaolan 相牛心鏡要覽 "Essentials of the mirror of the heart of examining bovines" is a book of veterinary medicine written by an unknown author during the late Qing period 清 (1644-1911). It mainly deals with water buffaloes (shuiniu 水牛), but also integrates medical aspects of cattle (huangniu 黃牛). The part dealing with the examination (xiangfa 相法) of an animal's body is very precise, but while the examination of buffaloes constitutes a chapter of its own, the examination methods of cattle are integrated into the general discussion on cattle (Huangniu zonglun 黃牛總論). Quite characteristically, each diagnosis and prescription are accompanied by a song-like formula for better memory. They were perhaps written by Huang Sugu 黃{彳肅}谷, who is mentioned in the preface.

The appendix includes a "Song advocating vegetarianism" (Jie shi niurou ge 戒食牛肉歌), and eight "Auspicious images of the inspection of bovines" (Xiangniu jitu 相牛吉圖), as well as six special prescriptions, e.g. for stimulation milk production (Fa ru dan 發乳單).

The book was originally a print for Buddhist enlightenment created by the Shancheng Hall 善成堂 in 1822. In 1958, the Xumu Yishou Chubanshe 畜牧醫獸出版社 published a modern edition, but left out the appendix because it has less to do with veterinary medicine. The Nongye Chubanshe published a modern edition in 1987, called Xiangniu xinjing yaolan jinshi 相牛心鏡要覽今釋.