Beijing Four Doctors Study

Purpose: To carry out investigation into the four prestigious physicians of Chinesemedicine, namely: Xiao Longyou, Kong Bohua, Shi Jinmo and Wang Fengchun, toevaluate their contributions to education of Chinese medicine by researching theirhistorical background of founding medical schools, studying their modes of runningschools as well as their educational thoughts, and to conduct systematic research ontheir academic thoughts from their origin, formation, development and heritage.Method: To combine literature trimming together with dictation record.I. The four prestigious physicians' contributions to education of Chinese medicine Royal court type of medical education faded away in Beijing area after theperdition of the Qing Dynasty. The Beiyang and Guomin governments then tried hardto abolish Chinese medicine, which led to a temporary shortage in the education ofChinese medicine. Therefore, the four prestigious physicians played a link-connectingrole between the preceding and the following to found medical schools in that situation.They established the Beiping College of National Medicine(1930～1944)and theHuabei College of National Medicine(1932～1950). Judging from educational system,teaching staff, curriculum, management and system, both the two colleges could beranged among normalized higher learning institutions of Chinese medicine, whichhelped bring up large quantities of excellent personnel of Chinese medicine, and madegreat contributions to development of the Chinese medicine cause.II. Academic thoughts of the four prestigious physicians Xiao Longyou paid great attention to medical ethics and culture. He stressedcomprehensive analysis of the data based on the four diagnostic methods, especiallythe method of asking. For treatment, he argued for different treating principles fordifferent persons. He was good at regulating deficiency syndrome by replenishing yinand building up body resistance. For prescription, he emphasized combination of bothform and spirit. For treatment of deficiency and impairment, he suggested harmonizingand nourishing the spleen and the stomach. He advocated integration of Chinesemedicine with Western medicine. He had profound knowledge of Chinese pharmacyand was known for unique ways of forming recipes. Kong Bohua had rich knowledge in the doctrine of the five circuit phases and sixatmospheric influences, believing that the six atmospheric influences may welltransform "fire". He brought forward the theory of liver heat and spleen dampnessVI 北京四大名医研究from disease due to damp heat. He agreed with Danxi's opinion that yang was oftenabundant while yin was often deficient in human body, and further advanced that therewere first people who suffered from abundant yang and deficient yin, and then therewere diseases of abundant yang and deficient yin. He paid close attention to bodyresistance, holding the view that the kidney was the foundation of body resistance. Healso attached great importance to zang-fu syndrome differentiation. For treatment, hewas good at using Gypsum, Anemarrhena and Phellodendron, Flos Inulae, and was alsogood at prescribing patent Chinese medicine and fresh herbs into decoctions Shi Jinmo believed in integration of Chinese medicine with Western medicine,advocating Li Gao's theory of the spleen and the stomach which stressed postnatalbasis. He attached importance to qi-blood syndrome differentiation, instituting tenprinciples syndrome differentiation. For treatment, he was good at herbal composition,and created Shi type of paired herbs. Heat diseases due to exogenous factors wereoften treated by relieving the superficial and clearing the interior to let evils out of thebody. For prescription, he suggested calming herbs against those cold and cool inproperty. He was good at regulating ascending and descending of qi mechanism, andwas also good at using herbs that served to p...