Huangdi neijing Su Wen (Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic) was written between the Warring Kingdoms and the Han dynasty. It represents the sum total of Chinese medical knowledge up to the Han dynasty. It is the oldest extant work on Chinese medicine. The work is divided into two parts:
- the Su wen (Basic Questions),
- and the Ling shu (Sacred Punch).
After the Han dynasty, the two parts were published separately.
The Su wen is written in question-and-answer format, featuring the Yellow Emperor and various doctors from ancient times. The work sets out Chinese medicine’s views on disease, medicines, diagnosis and treatment.
It is still considered a classic in the current practice of Chinese medicine. The commented editions by Wang Bing (8th century) and Lin Y (11th century) were followed by many others. This Jin dynasty edition is remarkable as the first printed version of the book.