Pei Zi Yan Yi and its author

Abstract

Pei Zi Yan Yi is a medical book written by Pei Yizhong, a popular physician in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province in the late Ming and the early Qing Dynasties. This study combed through almost all existing versions of the book and its relevant historical materials. It was found that Pei Zi Yan Yi was originally written in the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, first published in 1671 and amended with the addition of Shan Run Yuan Bing Shi in 1713. Few copies of Pei Zi Yan Yi was extant, and the content of existing versions was found to be incomplete and seldom appeared in bibliographical documents. This might be due to the influence of the Literary Inquisition Case in the Yong Zheng period and the political stance of Pei's family. This study attempts to explore the academic value of Pei Zi Yan Yi and offer insights to the political situation and lifestyle of the medical and Confucian groups in the south of Yangzi River in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Pei Zi Yan Yi is a medical book written by Pei Yizhong, a popular physician in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province in the late Ming and the early Qing Dynasties. This study combed through almost all existing versions of the book and its relevant historical materials. It was found that Pei Zi Yan Yi was originally written in the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, first published in 1671 and amended with the addition of Shan Run Yuan Bing Shi in 1713. Few copies of Pei Zi Yan Yi was extant, and the content of existing versions was found to be incomplete and seldom appeared in bibliographical documents. This might be due to the influence of the Literary Inquisition Case in the Yong Zheng period and the political stance of Pei's family. This study attempts to explore the academic value of Pei Zi Yan Yi and offer insights to the political situation and lifestyle of the medical and Confucian groups in the south of Yangzi River in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.