more on the literati physicians

[Guest guest]

Interesting article in a new scholarly journal, " Asian Medicine:

Tradition and Modernity " by Asaf Goldschmidt entitled " The Song

Discontinuity: Rapid Innovation in Northern Song Dynasty Medicine " .

It is a discussion of the rapid changes that happened in Chinese

medicine during the 11th and 12th centuries CE, foremost including

revival of acumoxatherapy, study of the classics, and the

resurrection of the Shang Han Lun. This was the era where systematic

correspondence became a central pillar of Chinese 'herbal' medicine

as well.

 

The emperor (Huizong) set up new medical schools to raise the

prestige of medical study, which was considered to be a lowly

occupation. There is a section on literati physicians in the text

that I think you'd find interesting:

 

" Keen on attracting the best talent, and mindful of the role status

plays in career decision, he coined a new term - the 'literati

physician' (ru yi). This new title for physicians who had been

educated within the new imperial medical education system signified a

new era during which medicine began gradually to attract candidates

from the elite. Training in the medical school was rigorous and

demanding. Besides extensive theoretical studies, an important

aspect of education was gaining clinical experience by treating

patients. The students had to report their cases in detail and were

judged by their rate of success " .

 

 

On Jul 17, 2005, at 3:36 PM, wrote:

 

> The textual material is only more valid

> than the oral teachings if it actually reflects the experience and

> practice of the physicians who saw large numbers of patients. But

> many of the writers in the confucian tradition of scholarship

> apparently looked with disdain on the actual practice of medicine.

> It was their filial responsibility to learn to care for their

> families,but it was not a respected way of making a living. Certainly

> those who advertised their services or nostrums were widely held in

> contempt by the literati physicians, who frequently railed against

> the unlearned masses in their tomes. Yet as we all well know, most

> of those who write most practice least (myself included and there are

> exceptions to every rule). There is only time for so much. I am

> sure this has always been the case.