Library

Zi (courtesy name) Ziheng, was the son-in-law of Song Yishu of Nanjing, and inherited the essence of medicine. A patient extended his tongue due to fright and could not retract it; various physicians were unable to treat him. Kuang (person's name) needled the base of the tongue, after which the tongue could extend and retract as before. Later, he served as Chaosan Dafu (Disseminating Grace Grandee) during the Xuanhe era. He authored *Quansheng Zhimi Lun* (Treatise on Guiding the Lost in Preserving Life).

Hao (style name) Jilao, from Sizhou, came from a family of hereditary physicians and was famous throughout the region. A prefect suffered from a throat abscess that developed into Liuzhu (a chronic suppurative condition) and did not heal for a long time. Jie (person's name) was invited to treat him, determined that it was caused by dietary habits, and prescribed only fresh ginger to be eaten. After consuming one jin (approx. 500g), the patient perceived the pungency, and the abscess healed. The prefect, surprised, asked for the reason. Jie replied: "You enjoy eating wrens; wrens eat Pinelliae Rhizoma (Banxia, 半夏); their toxic residue remains in the throat. Without Gingeris Rhizoma (Shengjiang, 生姜), the toxicity of Pinellia cannot be resolved." Using ginger led to recovery.

A native of Boling, he was proficient in medical arts, achieving miraculous therapeutic effects, leading people to believe his skills were divinely bestowed. By pulse diagnosis, he could predict life and death. He predicted the influences of Yunqi (Five Movements and Six Qi), and regarding diseases in different regions, he would warn people in advance so they could take precautions, a method verified repeatedly.

Serving as Taishi (Grand Preceptor) of the Jin dynasty, he was skilled in medicine and exquisite in acupuncture. For patients who had died for several days, if there was slight warmth remaining in the chest, immediate needle insertion would revive them. He authored *Zhenjing Zhinan* (Guide to the Classic of Acupuncture) and *Biao You Fu* (Ode to Marking the Profound), serving as a model for past and present generations.

From a family practicing Confucian medicine, Wuji (person's name) particularly博览群书 (read extensively), possessed keen intelligence, and followed Zhang Zhongjing’s teachings on Shanghan (Cold Damage). He analyzed exterior and interior, deficiency and excess, exploring their profound implications. He authored *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage) and *Mingli Lun* (Treatise on Clarifying Principles), totaling dozens of volumes circulated in the world.

Name Wansu, from Hejian, thus styled Hejian. He thoroughly understood medical formulas and detailed the *Neijing·Relun* (Hot Disease Chapter of the Inner Canon). He believed most diseases originated from Fire (Huo, 火). His works *Yunqi Yaozhi* (Essentials of Yunqi), *Jingyao Xuanming* (Clarified Essentials), and *Suwen Xuanji Yuanbing Shi* (Original Causes of Diseases Explained by Mysteries of the Suwen) were circulated in the world.

Zi (courtesy name) Jiegou, from Yizhou, now known as Yi Lao (Old Man Yi). At eight years old, he was good at writing and passed the Jinshi (Imperial Examination). He favored medical formulas. One night, he dreamed that a divine person chiseled open his chest and abdomen and placed books inside; from then on, he thoroughly understood the sources of disease. He administered medicines flexibly, not adhering rigidly to ancient formulas. He stated that Yunqi (Five Movements and Six Qi) are not uniform, and circumstances change between ancient and modern times; therefore, old formulas may not fit new diseases. The value lies in the subtlety of adapting treatment to the times.