Mid C20 Chinese medical illustration in trad. style: Smallpox

Youke san zhong (Three Books of Paediatrics) is a mid 20th century composite edition of three classics of paediatrics: Zengbu douzhen yusui jinjing lu (The Gold And Chalcedony Mirror of Pox Diseases, Expanded Edition) by Weng Zhongren (Ming period, 1368-1644), Youke tiejing (Iron Mirror of Paediatrics) by Xia Ding (Qing period, 1644-1911), and Xiao'er tuina guangyi (Overview of Paediatric tuina Massage) by Xiong Yingxiong (Qing period). A small number of illustrations are included in a supplement.

This illustration of 'Knee Enveloping' pox, in traditional ink and brush style, comes from The Gold And Chalcedony Mirror of Pox Diseases.

The text states: 'Knee Enveloping' (bao xi) refers to a pox (dou) rash clustered in the knee area. This is due to a concentration of toxic heat in the knees preventing the liquid matter in the pox from passing into the feet and lower legs. If there are no other symptoms of this disease elsewhere on the child's body, and moreover no internal syndrome is present, it can be readily cured by giving Muscle Freeing and Poison Expelling powder with achyrantes (niuxi, lit. cow's knees), and Poison Dissolving Elixir (huadu san) internally, while applying cochineal ointment externally.

Heading: Knee Enveloping (bao xi)