《本草綱目‧火部》考釋

Fire as Medicine: The "Fire" Section of Bencao gangmu

李建民(Jian-Min Li)

《中央研究院歷史語言研究所集刊》 73本3分 (2002/09) Pp. 395-441

摘要

The words of the living are distorted echoes of the past. Some core notions of Chinese classical medicine had a long and profound influence, and although the common people had daily intimate experiences related to these ideas they had no way of explaining them. ”Fire” is one of the clearest examples of this paradox.
”Fire” first appears as an independent medicinal category in Li Shizhen's (c. 1518-1593) Bencao gangmu, which categorizes materia medica according to the doctrine of the five phases. The category of fire constitutes a distinct chapter, which includes eleven types of medicine. The description of these medicines is preceded by a section on ”yin-fire, yang-fire,” a form unique to this chapter of Bencao gangmu. Li Shizhen further divides fire into ”celestial fire,” ”terrestrial fire” and ”human fire.” The last section, includes a discussion of the notion of ”ministerial fire” 相火(xianghuo), based on citations from sources of the Jin and Yuan periods.
Do our verbal categories determine our feelings? In classical Chinese medicine, fife, just like ”wind,” referred to pneumas surrounding the body. Beginning with the Jin and Yuan dynasties, doctors placed increasing emphasis on ”fire” within the body. At the same time, fife became a term used by the sick themselves to describe their experiences of malaise. Li Shizhen's creation of a medicinal category for fife should be considered a part of this process of reconceptualization.

關鍵字

本草綱目 ； 相火 ； 火 ； 李時珍

並列摘要

The words of the living are distorted echoes of the past. Some core notions of Chinese classical medicine had a long and profound influence, and although the common people had daily intimate experiences related to these ideas they had no way of explaining them. ”Fire” is one of the clearest examples of this paradox.
”Fire” first appears as an independent medicinal category in Li Shizhen's (c. 1518-1593) Bencao gangmu, which categorizes materia medica according to the doctrine of the five phases. The category of fire constitutes a distinct chapter, which includes eleven types of medicine. The description of these medicines is preceded by a section on ”yin-fire, yang-fire,” a form unique to this chapter of Bencao gangmu. Li Shizhen further divides fire into ”celestial fire,” ”terrestrial fire” and ”human fire.” The last section, includes a discussion of the notion of ”ministerial fire” 相火(xianghuo), based on citations from sources of the Jin and Yuan periods.
Do our verbal categories determine our feelings? In classical Chinese medicine, fife, just like ”wind,” referred to pneumas surrounding the body. Beginning with the Jin and Yuan dynasties, doctors placed increasing emphasis on ”fire” within the body. At the same time, fife became a term used by the sick themselves to describe their experiences of malaise. Li Shizhen's creation of a medicinal category for fife should be considered a part of this process of reconceptualization.

並列關鍵字

Bencao gangmu ； medicine ； fire ； Li Shizhen

參考文獻

(1999)。李時珍醫學全書。北京:中國中醫藥出版社。

Bachelard, G.(1964).The Psychoanalysis of Fire.Boston:Beacon Press.

Chang, Yang Jun(1999).Scientific Research and Conservation Treatment on the Yang Sui Excavation from Zhou Yuan Ruins.Studies in Conservation.44(1)

Furth, C.(2001).Critical Problems in the History of East Asian Science.Dibner Institute, MIT.

Goudsblom, J.(1992).Fire and Civilization.Harmondsworth:The Penguin Press.