Chinese woodcut: Scrofula

  • Digital Images
  • Online

Available online

view Chinese woodcut: Scrofula

In copyright

It is possible this item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You may be able to use this digital item under a copyright exception, otherwise you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). These may be identified elsewhere in the catalogue record. Read more about copyright.

Read further guidance on copyright exceptions in the UK.

Credit

Chinese woodcut: Scrofula. Wellcome Collection. In copyright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 1 image

About this work

Description

Woodcut illustrating the 17th century Chinese medical text Yangyi daquan (Great Compendium of The Medicine of Sores) Gu Shicheng, from an edition published in 1901 (27th year of the Guangxu reign period of the Qing dynasty). The illustration shows the disease location and characteristics of scrofula (luoli) i.e. tuberculosis of the cervical lymph nodes. The disease, which occurs on the neck, resembles a string of clearly defined beads; the smaller ones are called luo and the larger ones li. There is no pain or redness. The nodes are hard in consistency, and can be moved with the fingers. Purulence or necrosis may set in; running sores then develop, discharging cheese-like matter or thin pus. If the disease remains untreated for a long period, fistulas may develop.

Lettering

PICTURE TITLE: Illustration of scrofula (luoli). OTHER LETTERING: Luoli (scrofula)

Type/Technique

Permanent link