Channeling the Moon, A Translation and Discussion of Qí Zhòngfǔ's "Hundred Questions on Gynecology," Part One

In the heyday of classical Chinese gynecology roughly eight centuries ago, Qí Zhòngfǔ 齊仲甫 composed a humbly named masterpiece, to address his students’, colleagues’, and patients’ “Hundred Questions on Gynecology” (女科百問). Quoting and discussing all the major theories and treatments found in earlier gynecological texts, the Chinese original of this book must have been as useful to his Sòng dynasty readers as this modern English translation will be for any practitioner of Chinese gynecology today.

One of the eminent translators of Chinese medical literature, Dr. Sabine Wilms has once again crafted a meticulously researched, lovingly phrased, and abundantly annotated translation in an attractive and accessible edition that is sure to inspire our clinical colleagues and set a new bar for the clinical practice of traditional Chinese gynecology in the West. This volume is the first in a series of four volumes and covers Questions 1-14.

Features:

• A 75-page detailed historical introduction, surveying the origins of gynecology in China and summarizing earlier texts;

• Literal translation of Questions 1-14 in Qí Zhòngfǔ’s 齊仲甫 Nǚ Kē Bǎi Wèn 《女科百問》 (“Hundred Questions on Gynecology”) on the theoretical foundations and menstrual conditions, with the Chinese text side-by-side with the English translation;

• Extensive commentaries by Sabine Wilms on the essays and formulas, discussing treatment strategies, related formulas, textual variants, grammatical issues, historical developments, technical terms, and contemporary relevance, and including abundant quotations from relevant medical texts, with Chinese sources for important passages;

• Preface and clinical notes by Sharon Weizenbaum;

• Character-Pinyin-English cross-listed tables for formulas and medicinal ingredients, in alphabetical order of Pinyin to English and of English to Pinyin;

• Beautifully illustrated throughout its 302 pages with photographs of the author’s home on Whidbey Island.

• For the Table of Contents, click THIS LINK.

• For an excerpt from the historical introduction, on Sun Simiao’s fertility treatments, visit this BLOG POST.

• For a review published in the Lantern Vol. 17.1 by Naomi Jancowski, see here (with gratitude for their generous permission to share here).