Academia Sinica
History of Medicine Group
Taipei, Taiwan

(Information provided by Ping-Yi Chu, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica. Originally posted on EASCI (East Asian Science list, easci@ccat.sas.upenn.edu), November 27, 1996)

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Overview and Introduction

Four years ago the Institute of History and Philology at Academia Sinica formed a research group focused on the history of Chinese medicine. The goal of this group was to explore the relationship among Chinese medicine, Chinese society and culture.

Since 1992, we have held monthly colloquia in order to provide a forum for scholars to discuss these issues in Taiwan. Many papers have been published after being presented in the colloquia. These papers can be found mainly in Hsin-shih-hsueh (New History) and Shih-yu-so chi-kan (Bulletin of The Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica). (Click on the name of the journal to see lists of articles) These papers mainly cover the following areas:

  1. Conceptions of the body and the notion of "yang-shen" (life nourishment) in ancient China
  2. Medical texts from Ma-wang-tui, the arts of bedchamber, and the formation of medical knowledge in ancient China
  3. The transmission of medical knowledge and the formation of medial canons in ancient China
  4. Abortion, infanticide, reproduction, and the birth of fu-k'o (gynecology)
  5. Confucians and physician in Sung China
  6. Others topics have included colonial medicine in Taiwan, Taoist medicine, Jesuit medicine in the Ming and Ch'ing periods, Wang Ch'ing-jen's medical vision and so on.

As this short list indicates, research has thus far concentrated mainly on medical issues before the T'ang.

We will issue a newsletter and have a symposium in 1997 to further facilitate international discussion among interested scholars. The newsletter will include bibliographical information regarding certain problem areas, relevant library collections, introduction of scholars in the area, short study notes and so on. The symposium is scheduled for June 1997. In addition, we have also set up a research room to collect information on the field as well as primary medical texts. We would be most grateful if interested scholars would send us their c.v., articles or even books. Your contribution to the newsletter is very welcome. In return, we will introduce you and send you our newsletter and/or papers as per your request.

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Library resources

At present, we have more than 1000 kinds of medical texts housed in our library. We welcome any exchange of medical materials. Visiting scholars are also welcome.

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Contact information

To contact this group in the history of Chinese medicine write me at:
Pingyi Chu
Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
Taipei, Taiwan.
e-mail: kaihsin@pluto.ihp.sinica.edu.tw
phone: 886-2-652-3102 fax:886-2-786-8834

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Academia Sinica 1997 symposium

This is a tentative list of participants and their papers.

Lin Fu-shih,"Taoist Medicine in the Six Dynasties"

Li Jender, "Female Physicians and their Patients from Han to T'ang "

Chin Shih-ch'i, "From Paradigm to Canon: The Development of Medicine in Ancient China"

Chu Pingyi, "Texts vs. Experience: Confucians and Physicians in Ch'ing China"

Ha Hung-ch'ien & Kao T'ien, "History of Anatomy in Taiwan "

Fu Fang, "The Contribution of Female Healers in Traditional China"

Kao Hsi, "Medicine and the State: the establishment of the modern medical institution in modern China"

Chao, Yuan-ling, "The Three Emperors and Medicine: An Investigation of the Temple of the Three Emperors"

Francesca Bray, "Ming-Qing medical cases as a source for family data and female reproductive cultures"

Charlotte Furth, "Health, Embodiment and Morality in the Medical Thought of Zhu Zhengheng"

Catherine Despeux, "Shen Gua, observer and actor of the medicine of his time"

Isida Hidemi, "Environmental medicine and Alchemy During the Yuan and Ming Periods"

Shigehisa Kuriyama, "Jinzhang and Yali: The Historical Significance of Some Modern Sensations"

Sakade Yoshinobu, "On the Commentaries by Yang Xuancao of Nanjing and Taoist Shangqing Sect"

Additional participants (paper titles still pending)

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Bulletin of The Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica

Recently published papers pertaining to Chinese medical history

Lee Jen-der, "Childbirth in Late Antiquity and Early Medieaval China," 67.3 (1996):533-654.

Lee Jen-der, "Infanticide and Child Abandonment from Han to Sui," 66.3 (1995):747-812.

Li Chien-min, "Textual Research on the Silk Writing Entitled Diagram for Burying afterbirths from Mawangdui," 65.4 (1994):725-832.

Lin Fu-shih, "Epidemics and Religions in Late Han China," 66.3 (1995):695-745.

Tu Cheng-sheng, "From Veneability to Longevity-Changes in Ancient Chinese Concepts of Life," 66.2 (1995):383-487.

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