works

Galleries and Reading Room

Wellcome Café

Library

Wellcome Kitchen

Wellcome Shop

To make your visit as safe and enjoyable as possible, you’ll need to follow our safety measures inside our venue, including wearing a face covering unless you’re exempt. Find out how we're keeping you safe. You no longer need to book a ticket to enter the museum or library.

We’re undertaking research with website visitors to find out some more about you and what you thought about your visit. This survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time!

What brought you to our website today?

Huitu zhenjiu yixue (Illustrated Acupuncture Made Easy), by Li Shouxian, was composed in 1798 (3rd year of the Jiaqing reign period of the Qing dynasty). It comprises two volumes (juan), plus a supplementary volume containing illustrations of the 'Seventy-two fan'.

 The 'Seventy-two fan' are not mentioned in any other early Chinese medical sources. Judging from the accounts given in this text, fan must be a generic term for a category of acute illness of unexplained origin. The word fan is qualified by names of animals and insects to characterise the external manifestations of these illnesses.

 This illustration shows the manifestations of Turtledove (banjiu) fan and Severing Knife (kandao) fan. 


 According to the captions, the signs of these conditions are as follows: In Turtledove fan, the head is outstretched, the limbs are cold, and the whole body trembles. This is treated by administering one or two twigs from a turtledove's nest, burnt to ash, washed down with yellow rice wine.


 In Severing Knife fan, the patient plucks at his/her mouth with both hands. To treat this, one should administer calcined and finely powdered stork's beak stork, to be taken with yellow rice wine.

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Illustration of Weak Pulse from Renyuan maiying guizhi tushuo (Pictorial Handbook of Pulse Images Based on the Person). This is a specialist text on pulse diagnosis attributed to the third-century master Shuhe, edited and revised by Shen Jifen in the Ming period (1368-1644). It discusses various pulse images and the medical conditions to which they relate, and contains 48 pulse image diagrams. This undated edition was engraved and published in Japan. The text states: The pulse image of Weak Pulse (ruomai) is as follows. The rise and fall of the pulse can be felt only with a gentle touch; it is extremely soft, deep and thin, and feels like soggy cotton; if pressed, it virtually ceases. Weak Pulse is an indicator of lack of strength. When Weak Pulse is found at the cun (Inch) pulse sector of the wrist, it relates to spontaneous sweating and shortness of breath; at the guan (Pass) pulse sector, it relates to Qi deficiency (qi xu) and exogenous heat (kere) in the stomach; at the chi (Foot) pulse sector, it relates to deficiency of Qi and blood, and deficiency-heat (xure).

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Weak Pulse (ruomai)

Yangsheng zazuan (Miscellaneous Compositions on Yang sheng/Nourishing Life), by an unknown author, was probably composed in the Ming period (1368-1644). The first and last pages of the book are damaged and fragmentary. The text deals chiefly with cultivating essence/sperm (jing) and procreation. It contains a few illustrations.

Yangsheng graphic: Ming Chinese woodcut

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 'Waist Entwining' pox, in traditional ink and brush style, comes from The Gold And Chalcedony Mirror of Pox Diseases. The text states: The Kidney Channel (meridian) governs the lumbar region/waist. A pox (dou) encircling the waist is known as Waist Entwining (chanyao). It occurs when pox poisons are entrenched in the kidney. Treatment must focus on attacking the poisons.

Mid C20 Chinese medical illustration in trad. style: Smallpox

Illustration of 'Technique for nurturing the heart', finely executed colour painting from Daoyin tu (Diagrams of Therapeutic Movement [daoyin]), by Kun Lan (Qing period, 1644-1911), MS dated 1875 (1st year of the Guangxu reign period of the Qing dynasty). Daoyin tu contains explanations and illustrations of 24 daoyin techniques. They comprise 9 seated techniques, 6 standing techniques, 6 recumbent techniques, 2 squatting techniques, and one kneeling technique.

Daoyin technique to nurture the heart, C19 Chinese MS

Illustration of 'winter frost water' from Shiwu bencao (Materia dietetica), a dietetic herbal in four volumes dating from the Ming period (1368-1644). The identity of the author and artists is unknown. It contains entries on over 300 medicinal substances and is illustrated by almost 500 paintings in colour.

 Frost (shuang), i.e. frozen dew, was collected by brushing it up with chicken feathers, and was then sealed in bottles for later use. The illustration shows a man climbing a ladder to gather frost from a roof.


 The text states: Winter frost water is cold in thermostatic character and non-poisonous. It is used to relieve alcoholic heat (jiure), cold damage and heat ailments.

Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Winter frost water

Illustration of Sunken Pulse (chenmai) from Renyuan maiying guizhi tushuo (Pictorial Handbook of Pulse Images Based on the Person). This is a specialist text on pulse diagnosis attributed to the third-century master Shuhe, edited and revised by Shen Jifen in the Ming period (1368-1644). It discusses various pulse images and the medical conditions to which they relate, and contains 48 pulse image diagrams. This undated edition was engraved and published in Japan. The text states: The pulse image of Sunken Pulse is as follows. When palpated lightly (ju, lit. raised), it cannot be perceived; but if one presses hard, a strong pulse can be felt beating near to the bone. Sunken Pulse relates to water Qi. If found at the cun (Inch) pulse sector of the wrist, it indicates the presence of cold-fluid (hanyin) in the chest; if found at the guan (Pass) pulse sector, it relates to fullness in the heart (xin man) and shortness of breath; if found at the chi (Foot) pulse sector of the wrist, it relates to difficulty in urination or anuria.

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Sunken Pulse (chenmai)

Early 18th-century Chinese woodcut illustrating friction ulcer (li ju), from Yizong jinjian: Waike xinfa (The Golden Mirror Of Medicine: Essential Knowledge and Secrets of External Medicine).



A medical anthology in 90 juan (volumes/fascicles), Yizong jinjian was executed as an imperial commission by Wu Qian (Qing period, 1644-1911) et al., and printed in Beijing at Wuyingdian (the Hall of Martial Prowess - the imperial printing house) in 1742 (7th year of the Qianlong reign period of the Qing dynasty). Waike xinfa is one of 15 monographs included in the anthology. It is a systematic treatise on Chinese external medicine in 16 volumes. It covers the system of channel (meridians), ulcers and abscesses (yongju), and the treatment of external conditions of various parts of the body. 

It contains 266 illustrations.

Chinese C18 woodcut: External medicine - Friction ulcer

Huitu zhenjiu yixue (Illustrated Acupuncture Made Easy), by Li Shouxian, was composed in 1798 (3rd year of the Jiaqing reign period of the Qing dynasty). It comprises two volumes (juan), plus a supplementary volume containing illustrations of the 'Seventy-two fan'.

 The 'Seventy-two fan' are not mentioned in any other early Chinese medical sources. Judging from the accounts given in this text, fan must be a generic term for a category of acute illness of unexplained origin. The word fan is qualified by names of animals and insects to characterise the external manifestations of these illnesses.

 This illustration shows the manifestations of Fierce Tiger (menghu) fan, Locust fan and Spinning Wheel (fangche) fan.

According to the captions, the signs of these conditions are as follows:

 In Fierce Tiger fan, the head twitches and the limbs are bent and cannot be straightened. This can be cured by needling the yongquan (Gushing Spring) point seven times, and then administering realgar (xionghuang) with Yellow rice wine.


 In Locust fan, the lower limbs shake and cannot extended; the patient is nauseous and has an impulse to vomit, and has a sense of turmoil in the heart. This is treated by administering locusts calcined till brown and ground to a powder, washed down with yellow rice wine.


 The symptoms of Spinning Wheel fan are dizziness and vomiting, and an inability to sit or lie still. This can be cured by administering cord from a spinning wheel, burnt to powder, washed down with yellow rice wine.

Illustration showing chongmai (the Penetrating Vessel) from Renti jingmai tu (Illustrations of the Channels of the Human Body), a manuscript text executed during the Kangxi reign period of the Qing dynasty (1662-1722), illustrated with 24 paintings in colour.

Chongmai (Penetrating Vessel), C17/18 Chinese book art

Wan shijia chuanguang si jiyao (Digest of Knowledge Handed Down by Ten Thousand Masters) - often abbreviated to Guang si jiyao - originally existed in a five-volume (juan) and a six-volume version. Only the five-volume version is known to be extant. It deals chiefly with male and female infertility, disorders and complications of pregnancy and childbirth, and illness in babies and infants. Juan 5 includes a supplement entitled Michuan jingyan xiao'er nafa (Secretly Transmitted Tried and Tested Paediatric Massage Techniques), illustrated with 22 diagrams.

Qing Chinese paediatric face diagnosis chart

Wooden rollers used for massaging the
abdomen to promote peristalsis and evacuation.

Wooden rollers for massaging the abdomen

Illustration showing the spleen channel of leg taiyin from Renti jingmai tu (Illustrations of the Channels of the Human Body), a manuscript text executed during the Kangxi reign period of the Qing dynasty (1662-1722), illustrated with 24 paintings in colour.

Spleen channel of leg taiyin, C17/18 Chinese book art

Huitu zhenjiu yixue (Illustrated Acupuncture Made Easy), by Li Shouxian, was composed in 1798 (3rd year of the Jiaqing reign period of the Qing dynasty). It comprises two volumes (juan), plus a supplementary volume containing illustrations of the 'Seventy-two fan'.

 The 'Seventy-two fan' are not mentioned in any other early Chinese medical sources. Judging from the accounts given in this text, fan must be a generic term for a category of acute illness of unexplained origin. The word fan is qualified by names of animals and insects to characterise the external manifestations of these illnesses.

 This illustration shows the manifestations of Quail fan, Bee fan and Four-Footed Snake (sizu she) fan. According to the captions, the signs of these conditions are as follows: 
 

 In Quail fan, the patient utters sounds like the call of a quail, and purple boils appear under the tongue. This is treated by lancing the boils with a needle so as to draw blood, and administering a quail net burnt to ash, washed down with yellow rice wine.


 In Bee fan, the patient makes an incessant humming sound, and suffers from vomiting and diarrhoea, and purple boils under the tongue. This is treated by lancing the boils with a needle and applying a little salt. 


 In Four-Footed Snake fan, the patient suffers from tachycardia, purple boils appear under the tongue, and the corners of the mouth become rigid. This is treated by lancing the boils with a needle so as to draw blood and applying tobacco tar (yanyou).

Early 18th-century Chinese woodcut illustrating breast tumour (ruyan), from Yizong jinjian: Waike xinfa (The Golden Mirror Of Medicine: Essential Knowledge and Secrets of External Medicine).



A medical anthology in 90 juan (volumes/fascicles), Yizong jinjian was executed as an imperial commission by Wu Qian (Qing period, 1644-1911) et al., and printed in Beijing at Wuyingdian (the Hall of Martial Prowess - the imperial printing house) in 1742 (7th year of the Qianlong reign period of the Qing dynasty). Waike xinfa is one of 15 monographs included in the anthology. It is a systematic treatise on Chinese external medicine in 16 volumes. It covers the system of channel (meridians), ulcers and abscesses (yongju), and the treatment of external conditions of various parts of the body. 

It contains 266 illustrations.

Chinese C18 woodcut: The chest/breasts - Breast tumour

Yaohui tukao (Illustrated Congregation of Drugs), published in 1935 (24th year of the Republic of China), presents the materia medica in dramatic form. It consists of ten scenes, in which various drugs appear as protagonists.

 This illustration accompanies Scene 10, Liquorice Brings Harmony to the Land (Gancao he guo), in which characters personifying liquorice, dendrobium (shihu) and rhubarb present the sapors, potencies, and therapeutic uses of various drugs through the medium of spoken dialogue and song.


 Aniseed/fennel (huixiang) sets Qi in motion and alleviates pain. Scizonepeta flower(?) (jiesui) eliminates poisons and dispels wind. Clam meal (gefen) tonifies the lung and relieves wheezing. Lotus stamens control involuntary emission and astringe semen/essence (jing). Red tangerine peel loosens phlegm and relieves coughing. Spurge (daji, Euphorbia pekinensis) eliminates water through purgation. Earthworms clear heat and unblock the channels. Lotus flower supports the stomach and raises Yang. Lotus plumule clears heat and alleviates thirst. Chinese aloe (luhui) kills parasites and cures infantile malnutrition (gan)… Altogether, this scene introduces about 40 drugs.

Chinese drugs personified: Lithograph, 1935

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 ' Lip Lock' (suochun) pox, in traditional ink and brush style, comes from The Gold And Chalcedony Mirror of Pox Diseases. The text states:The lips constitute the opening orifice of the spleen. If the spleen organ is in balance, pox (dou) will not erupt at the lips; but when poisonous malignities coagulate in the Spleen channel, pox lesions cluster on the upper and lower lips. Some of the lesions are yellow, mature and wax-like, while others are black, hard and dry and exude blood. This should be treated by purging the fire and removing the poisons, by means of Yellow-Purging powder and pig's tail grease.

Woodcut illustration from the anonymous medical handbook Zhengzhi tuzhu houke (Diagnosis and Treatment of Throat Conditions, Illustrated), edition engraved in 1797 (2nd year of the Jiaqing reign period of the Qing dynasty, Ding Si year). This book discusses eight branches of throat medicine, including yanhou men (the branch of laryngopharyngeal medicine), ru'e men (the branch of tonsillitis - lit. 'milky moth' -- medicine), houbi men (the branch of throat impediment medicine, or pharyngitis), houfeng men (the branch of throat wind medicine, or laryngitis), and houyong men (the branch of throat abscess medicine). It contains descriptions of 84 different throat conditions, each accompanied by an illustration.

C18 Chinese woodcut: Throat abscess with hoarse voice

Huitu zhenjiu yixue (Illustrated Acupuncture Made Easy), by Li Shouxian, was composed in 1798 (3rd year of the Jiaqing reign period of the Qing dynasty). It comprises two volumes (juan), plus a supplementary volume containing illustrations of the 'Seventy-two fan'.

 The 'Seventy-two fan' are not mentioned in any other early Chinese medical sources. Judging from the accounts given in this text, fan must be a generic term for a category of acute illness of unexplained origin. The word fan is qualified by names of animals and insects to characterise the external manifestations of these illnesses.

 This illustration shows the manifestations of Earthworm (dilong) fan, Insect (chong) fan, 'Nine types of heart pain' and Sparrow-Eye (quemu) fan.


 According to the captions, the signs of these conditions are as follows: In Earthworm (dilong) fan, the patient writhes on the ground, the small intestine is painful and the belly is distended. This treated by administering ashed 'oil wicks' (you nianzi), washed down with yellow rice wine.


 In Insect fan, first the head, then the legs, then the lumbar region swell up. It can be cured by bathing the whole body in water with mulberry leaves boiled in it, then letting the patient drink ashed wild rice (gucao, zizania) and mulberry leaves in water.


 In case of the 'Nine types of heart pain', the patient experiences pain and oppression in the cardiac and thoracic region. This is treated with pagoda tree (sophora) fruit (huairou) calcined till brown, and made into mungbean-sized pills with aged vinegar, eight or nine pills to be taken at a time washed down with plain water.


 In Sparrow-Eye (quemu) fan, the patient has great difficulty in discerning objects at dusk (or in poor light). This can be treated by letting the patient drink alfalfa (muxu) root boiled in water.

Illustration of 'Technique for curing involuntary seminal emission' (shi jing), finely executed colour painting from Daoyin tu (Diagrams of Therapeutic Movement [daoyin]), by Kun Lan (Qing period, 1644-1911), MS dated 1875 (1st year of the Guangxu reign period of the Qing dynasty). Daoyin tu contains explanations and illustrations of 24 daoyin techniques. They comprise 9 seated techniques, 6 standing techniques, 6 recumbent techniques, 2 squatting techniques, and one kneeling technique.

Daoyin technique to cure seminal emission, C19 Chinese MS

Illustration of 'washing-up water' from Shiwu bencao (Materia dietetica), a dietetic herbal in four volumes dating from the Ming period (1368-1644). The identity of the author and artists is unknown. It contains entries on over 300 medicinal substances and is illustrated by almost 500 paintings in colour.

 The illustration shows a man washing dishes in a kitchen.


 The text states: Washing-up water can treat malign sores which have failed to heal after a long period. The washing-up water is boiled and salted and used to bathe the lesions. The effects are immediate.

Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Washing-up water

One of a series of woodcuts of illustrious physicians and legendary founders of Chinese medicine from an edition of Bencao mengquan (Introduction to the Pharmacopoeia), engraved in the Wanli reign period of the Ming dynasty (1573-1620) -- Volume preface, 'Lidai mingyi hua xingshi' (Portraits and names of famous doctors through history). The images are attributed to a Tang (618-907) creator, Gan Bozong.

 The account in 'Portraits and Names of Famous Doctors through History' states: Qin Yueren, known as Bian Que, was a native of Bohai in Luguo. Having studied Huangdi neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), he wrote Bashiyi nanjing (Classic of Eighty-One Difficulties) as a commentary on that work. According to tradition, Bian Que learnt his medical skills from Zhang Sangjun. One day, Zhang Sangjun said to Bian Que, 'I have a prescription that I had hoped to pass on to my son when I grew old. If you take some of the prescription from this cup, and drink it with the water from this pool, in thirty days you will have knowledge of things.' Bian Que did as he said, and from then on, when he examined a patient, he was able to see into the viscera to discover the cause of the disease.

Chinese woodcut, Famous medical figures: Portrait of Bian Que

Acu-moxa point chart, showing the fanwei (regurgitation, stomach reflux) points, from Chuanwu lingji lu (Record of Sovereign Teachings), by Zhang Youheng, a treatise on acu-moxa in two volumes. This work survives only in a manuscript draft, completed in 1869 (8th year of the Tongzhi reign period of the Qing dynasty). It is illustrated with 84 charts, finely executed in colour.
 The text states: The upper fanwei point is located 1 cun below the breast (1 cun [Chinese/proportional inch] = c. 3 cm); the lower fanwei point is located on the lower front part of the inner ankle, on the anterior border of the fibula (sanhengzhi). Moxibustion at the fanwei points can cure stomach reflux, vomiting etc.

C19 Chinese MS moxibustion point chart: Regurgitation points

Illustration of Ultimate Pulse (taiji mai) from Renyuan maiying guizhi tushuo (Pictorial Handbook of Pulse Images Based on the Person). This is a specialist text on pulse diagnosis attributed to the third-century master Shuhe, edited and revised by Shen Jifen in the Ming period (1368-1644). It discusses various pulse images and the medical conditions to which they relate, and contains 48 pulse image diagrams. This undated edition was engraved and published in Japan. The text states: Ultimate Pulse is one of the Sixteen Weird Pulses (guai mai). It is also known as Consumed Corpse (hao shi). Its pulse image is like a fingerboard [of a stringed instrument(?)]; it is ample at its arrival and vigorous at its departure, and does not stop after arriving; or rather in the course of the pulse rhythm, it resumes weakly and then reintensifies, for each sequence of exhalation and inhalation. A patient having this pulse will die within about two hours (lit. one watch of the day, shichen).

Wellcome uses cookies.

More filters

Active filters:

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Weak Pulse (ruomai)

Yangsheng graphic: Ming Chinese woodcut

Mid C20 Chinese medical illustration in trad. style: Smallpox

Daoyin technique to nurture the heart, C19 Chinese MS

Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Winter frost water

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Sunken Pulse (chenmai)

Chinese C18 woodcut: External medicine - Friction ulcer

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Chongmai (Penetrating Vessel), C17/18 Chinese book art

Qing Chinese paediatric face diagnosis chart

Wooden rollers for massaging the abdomen

Spleen channel of leg taiyin, C17/18 Chinese book art

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Chinese C18 woodcut: The chest/breasts - Breast tumour

Chinese drugs personified: Lithograph, 1935

Mid C20 Chinese medical illustration in trad. style: Smallpox

C18 Chinese woodcut: Throat abscess with hoarse voice

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Daoyin technique to cure seminal emission, C19 Chinese MS

Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Washing-up water

Chinese woodcut, Famous medical figures: Portrait of Bian Que

Qing Chinese paediatric face diagnosis chart

C19 Chinese MS moxibustion point chart: Regurgitation points

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Ultimate Pulse

Stay in the know

Wellcome collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome uses cookies.

Search the collections

More filters

Active filters:

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Weak Pulse (ruomai)

Yangsheng graphic: Ming Chinese woodcut

Mid C20 Chinese medical illustration in trad. style: Smallpox

Daoyin technique to nurture the heart, C19 Chinese MS

Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Winter frost water

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Sunken Pulse (chenmai)

Chinese C18 woodcut: External medicine - Friction ulcer

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Chongmai (Penetrating Vessel), C17/18 Chinese book art

Qing Chinese paediatric face diagnosis chart

Wooden rollers for massaging the abdomen

Spleen channel of leg taiyin, C17/18 Chinese book art

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Chinese C18 woodcut: The chest/breasts - Breast tumour

Chinese drugs personified: Lithograph, 1935

Mid C20 Chinese medical illustration in trad. style: Smallpox

C18 Chinese woodcut: Throat abscess with hoarse voice

Early C20 Chinese Lithograph: 'Fan' diseases

Daoyin technique to cure seminal emission, C19 Chinese MS

Chinese Materia Dietetica, Ming: Washing-up water

Chinese woodcut, Famous medical figures: Portrait of Bian Que

Qing Chinese paediatric face diagnosis chart

C19 Chinese MS moxibustion point chart: Regurgitation points

Chinese/Japanese Pulse Image chart: Ultimate Pulse

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome collection