[The author of Yi du (Medicine Reading) and source and history of its editions]

Yi du (Medicine Reading)was a primer of traditional Chinese medicine. The original author was Wang Ji of the Ming Dynasty, and the book was block-printed and published, after the supplement made by Cheng Yingmao of the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The editions of the book preserved in Nanjing Library and China Institute for History of Medicine and Medical Literature of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences was the original version in the reign of Kangxi Emperor. The edition in Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was the amended version of original version in the reign of Kangxi Emperor. The version of Edo Period in the Cabinet Library of National Archives of Japan was the reprinted edition of the amended version of original version in the reign of Kangxi Emperor. The transcript of Mr. Wang Shishan's Medicine Reading of the Qing Dynasty in Nanjing Library and Suzhou Library was the hand-copied version of the original one, with 75 syndromes, including external contraction, internal injuries, woman miscellaneous diseases etc. and all sorts of prescriptions. Cheng Yingmao added his preface, 14 syndromes of children diseases and prescription verse, supplemented general notices, properties of materia medica, pulse manifestations, and revised some texts of pathogenesis to form the 7 volumes. The former 5 volumes of Yi du were in 4-character verses, the 6(th)~7(th) volumes were in 7-character verses, and the pill prescriptions were in prose, which made more convenient for beginners to read, remember, and for recitation.