Top of page

Book/Printed Material Huo you xin shu 活幼心書

View 17 images in sequence.
[ Volume 1 ]

More Resources

View 18 images in sequence.
[ Volume 2 ]

About this Item

Title

  • Huo you xin shu

Other Title

  • 活幼心書

Translated Title

  • Book on Children's Diseases and Their Treatments

Summary

  • Zeng Shirong (1252--circa 1332), a native of Hengzhou (present-day Hengyang), Hunan Province, was a Chinese pediatrician of the Yuan dynasty. In addition to this work, he was the author of Huo you kou yi (Treatise on children's oral diseases and treatments), in 20 juan. The present work is in three juan, each of which has a subtitle. The first, Jue zheng shi fu (Diagnoses in verse), has 75 entries, each containing a brief diagnosis in verse of a childhood illness. The second juan, called Ming ben lun (On treatments), has 43 entries. The third juan, Xin xiao fang (Effective prescriptions), contains 230 prescriptions divided into four categories. Zeng Shirong was greatly influenced by the Jin physician Zhang Zihe (1151--circa 1231). He emphasized that diseases originated from evils and that therefore it was necessary to dispel evils to effect cures. He was known to be experienced in treating infantile convulsions and propounded the formula of eight symptoms and four cures, followed by physicians of later generations. This rare extant copy is a 1329 printed edition with handwritten supplements. At the head of the first juan are two inscriptions: Wu yan lou jiu cang (Formerly in the collection of the House of Five Inkstones) and Qiu gu ju chong zhuang (Rebound at the Abode of the Quest for Antiquity). The work has prefaces by Henichi (dated 1327), Lian Gongliang (dated 1329), Wu Gangzhong (1295), Luo Zongzhi (1307), and the author (dated 1294). Following the prefaces is a portrait of Zeng, a short essay, and a seven-character quatrain. At the end of juan two and three are appendices containing prescriptions left by Zeng. At the end of the book are two handwritten inscriptions, one by Huang Peilie dated 1797, and another by Miao Quansun dated in 1910. Fifteen pages in juan three are hand-copied.

Names

  • Zeng, Shirong, 1252-1332? Author

Created / Published

  • [Place of publication not identified] : [Publisher not identified], 1329.

Headings

  • -  China
  • -  1270 to 1329
  • -  Children--Diseases
  • -  Medicine, Chinese
  • -  Pediatrics

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  "Only prefaces and partial text of juan 1 are included in the WDL presentation."--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
  • -  Original resource extent: 3 juan, 6 volumes ; 20.2 x 13.6 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Central Library.
  • -  Content in Chinese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
  • -  Title revised per Asian Division.--cc28 2023-01-06

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Chinese Books, Manuscripts, Maps, and Prints

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666400

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Zeng, Shirong, ? Author. Huo You Xin Shu. [Place of publication not identified: Publisher not identified, 1329] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666400/.

APA citation style:

Zeng, S. (1329) Huo You Xin Shu. [Place of publication not identified: Publisher not identified] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666400/.

MLA citation style:

Zeng, Shirong, ? Author. Huo You Xin Shu. [Place of publication not identified: Publisher not identified, 1329] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666400/>.