Jingui Yaolüe
clinical book of traditional Chinese medicine covering formulae, prescriptions for colds and flu, ob-gyn diseases
Jingui Yaolüe (simplified Chinese: 金匮要略; traditional Chinese: 金匱要略; pinyin: Jīnguì Yàolüè), Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet is a classic clinical book of traditional Chinese medicine written by Zhang Zhongjing (150-219) at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty and was first published in the Northern Song dynasty. It is one of the two standardized books extracted from the Shanghan Zabing Lun by later editors, the other being Shanghan Lun. The oldest known extant copy, believed to be bibliographically closest to the original, dates to 1340 and was printed with woodcuts in the early Ming dynasty.
There is an annotated English translation by Luo Xiwen, with three hundred modern case histories titled: Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber with 300 Cases. First published in 1995 by New World Press.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Jingui Yaolüe” is clinical book of traditional Chinese medicine covering formulae, prescriptions for colds and flu, ob-gyn diseases. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Jingui, Yaolüe and clinical, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “clinical book of traditional Chinese medicine covering formulae, prescriptions for colds and flu, ob-gyn diseases” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q851763. VIAF identifies the subject as 253872353. None of the 3 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1340 and 1995.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Jingui Yaolüe”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Jingui Yaolüe primary sources, Jingui Yaolüe archive and Jingui research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Jingui Yaolüe”?
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- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Jingui Yaolüe” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.