Ten Lectures on the Use of Medicinals

By Jiao Shu-de

Professor Jiao Shu-De has selected Paradigm Publications to produce his life work in English. Because his works are among the most used texts of internal medicine, his material has appeared in bits and pieces, some attributed, some not. To insure that a full and accurate presentation of this important material is available in English, Paradigm Publications has contracted the rights for his texts, the first of which appeared in print in Spring 2001.

Three expert translators are working on the project: Craig Mitchell, Marnae Ergil, and Shelly Ochs. Craig Mitchell, the translator of an acclaimed Shan Han Lun edition, is the chief editor. Nigel Wiseman is the sinological editor and Andrew Ellis is the clinical editor.

In the first volume, Ten Lectures on the Use of Medicinals Based on the Personal Experience of Jiao Shu-De (Yong Yao Xin De Shi Jiang), Dr. Jiao discusses approximately 300 medicinal substances in practical terms. He begins each section with basic information about a given substance, such as taste, temperature, and entering channels. This is followed with a discussion of the functions and indications for the substance. In this section, Dr. Jiao gives the details of specific practical applications for each medicinal, including representative formulas for a given function. In the final section about a given medicinal substance, he provides information about specific preparations and dosages, as well as some comparisons with other medicinals having similar or related actions. “Ten Lectures” is not designed to replace standard materia medica, but to supplement them with copious detail on clinical applications from his own personal experience. The book also presents information about the medicinals that is not available in English language materia medica. For example, he compares and contrasts medicinals that have similar functions to help practitioners make better clinical decisions.

Dr. Jiao also discusses a specific medicinal’s actions in the context of well-known and frequently-used formulae. Within practical discussions of medicinal agents, he explains fundamental theory, allowing all levels of student or practitioner to gain increased understanding. Dr. Jiao elucidates information that a practitioner may have already memorized but in a way that allows for better clinical usage of the information.

The Preface provides critical information about the study of the materia medica and the use of prescriptions. The final chapter discusses formula organization with specific examples from Dr. Jiao’s own clinical experience. Professor Jiao has extensive background educating clinicians. Having taught a range of students from barefoot doctors to advanced graduates of China’s key medical schools, he has developed considerable skill in teaching Chinese medicine. Jiao is an expert in internal medicine and his presentations will concentrate on the use of medicinals in clinical practice. His lectures and demonstrations will give students and practitioners access to his more than 60 years of clinical experience.

Publication Date: 2001
Paperback; 164 pages; 6 x 9; $14.95
ISBN: 0-912111-60-7