The “Ao Shi Shang Han Jin Jing Lu”

The earliest ideas on tongue diagnosis mostly derive from the Cold Damage (Shang Han) theories as they were interpreted during the Tang (618 AD - 907 AD) and Song (969 AD - 1279 AD) Dynasties.

Although the Yellow Emperor’s Classic (黄帝内经), includes some basic Chinese medicine tongue anatomy, physiology, pathology and treatment, and the Treatise on Cold Damage (伤寒论) suggests some basic ideas for a tongue diagnosis, however, these theories were not by any means comprising a clinically applicable tongue diagnosis methodology.

The first page of Xue Li-zhai's first edition
of "Ao Shi Shang Han Jin Jing Lu"

Sometime around the Song and Yuan Dynasties, an unknown ancient doctor known as Scholar Ao (in modern times often identified as Ao Ji-weng) produced a brief monograph called “Shang Han Dian Dian Jin” (伤寒点点金), containing for the first time in history, twelve colour illustrations of various tongues together with brief notes, where he summarized all the main tongue advancements of his era. This manuscript was meant to be used as a secret manual, available only within closed circles. This fact was later recorded by Du Qing-bi (杜清碧), who came across one of these doctors, but was refused admission in his circle.

A copy of the "Shang Han Dian Dian Jin" from the
Library of The China Academy of Chinese Medicine

After this encounter, Du Qing-bi being aware about the existence this manual, kept searching for it, until he finally managed to buy a handwritten copy of Ao’s monograph. After meticulous study he eventually expanded on the text by adding twenty-four more tongues (to a total of thirty-six), thus creating the famous “Ao Shi Shang Han Jin Jing Lu” (敖氏伤寒金镜录), completed in 1341.

Unfortunately, Du Qing-bi's edition still circulated in secret for about two centuries before another famous doctor, Xue Li-zhai (薛立斋) came accross a copy of it. Scholar Xue added his own commentaries, and published a complete version in 1529, making it public for the first time.

The “Ao Shi Shang Han Jin Jing Lu” or “Scholar Ao’s Gold Mirror Records in Cold Damage” was the first tongue diagnosis monograph in the world, and even today it is regarded as one of the most influential Chinese Medicine books of all time.

Historical traumatology and making wooden splints at the hospital

I t was back in 2018, and I was still working at the Sports Trauma Hospital in Guangzhou, China. That day, a young gentleman comes to the clinic with a martial arts injury. Physical examination/palpation of the limb and also an x-ray revealed a fractured ulna. Typically, in these types of situations, the standard of care at the hospital, required that the patient moves to the inpatient department for further evaluation, processing and to await surgery. During the surgery, the specialist would open a small incision, realign the bone and then secure it in place with pins or metal implants. However, this approach is not always necessary. In the not-so-distant past, for a simple fracture of the ulna with less than 50% displacement and less than 10% angulation, a simple cast and plenty of rest would be sufficient. In any case, the patient outright refused surgery and casting. He simply asked that we use traditional bone-setting to realign the bone, and then secure it in place with wooden s

Historical photos from the Annual Conferences of the Translation Specialty Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies

I just received the news that this year, the annual WFCMS Conference for the Translation Specialty Committee will be held in person, after 4 years of hybrid meetings. Today, I am looking back at some photos from previous - in person - meetings, from times when I delivered key note speeches. Wuhan meeting in 2014: Nanchang Meeting in 2015: Guangzhou meeting in 2017: Shanghai meeting in 2018: Shanghai 2018, with Prof. Nigel Wiseman Guangzhou 2017, with Dr. Shan Bao-zhi, the current President of the Committee, and two of my former classmates: Changsha 2016: Shanghai 2018 with Professor Fang Ting-yu and Prof. Wang Kui Shanghai 2018 with Prof. Nigel Wiseman, Prof. Zhu Jian-ping, Dr. Shan Bao-zhi and Prof. Wang Kui: With Prof. Nigel Wiseman and my old classmate from BUCM, Dr. Rao Hong-mei: With Prof. Wang Kui, Prof. Nigel Wiseman, Prof. Zhu Jian-ping and Prof.Hong Mei: With Prof. Nigel Wiseman and Prof. Li Xiao-li: Changsha 2016 with Prof. Ma Boying: Changsha 2016 with Prof. Greta Yang

The new "Zhongxing Sports Trauma Hospital" Poster

Last Friday, I discovered that my old job in China, the “Zhongxing Sport Trauma Hospital” in Guangzhou, created a new poster for the Hospital Introduction, which features one of my photos. I was very surprised, because it has been more than 4 years since I left. Over the weekend, they reached out to request for my face to be used as part of their history and professional identity. To that, I kindly agreed. (Side note: The photo with the skeleton was also taken by me, in late 2017)

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