Explanation in the TCM translation in this book

(1). Whenever there is no exact English word, the original Chinese Pinyin is used. The first letter of the pinyin is in big letter. For example, the commonly used concept of Qi is usually translated into energy in English. It is not a proper word. When the word energy is used, how can we mean the Yang energy, Yin energy? Also, the disease-causing factors, no matter they are, a virus, or a bacteria, are called Xieqi. In Chinese, Xieqi can be classified into Fire, Wet, Cold, Hot, Dryness, Wind. So they are called Windxie, Coldxie, Wetxie, Firexie or Drynessxie. The Xieqi is translated into “evil” in some TCM books. Actually, in TCM, the Fire, the Wind, the Cold, the Dryness is the things normally in the nature and they do not cause a disease for us. Only when we are weak in our defense system, they come into the body and disturb the body function. Therefore, their nature is not a evil at all. Because this, TCM works to remove the Xieqi out of the body, rather than to “kill” them within the body. How to translate reflects how the person really understands the TCM basic concept.

(2). Whenever the term is with the first letter as a big letter, it means it bears special meaning in the herbal therapy. For example,  the word Cold, or Coldxie, means something that, after invades into the body, can cause body chilly, pain and stiffness on the back of the neck, pain in the muscle of whole body, hot, even slight asthma. So it means a disease causing factor, no longer means a flu as in English. We will prepare a list of the special TCM terms for your reference.

(3). The amount of herb in the herbal formula has been adjusted based on one “liang” (the weight unit used in the Book) is equal to 15.625 grams in current weight unit. Usually, it has been used as only 3 grams for a long time, even nowadays by many TCM doctors in China. Apparently, the amount of herbs introduced here is more than five fold of the currently used. We are strongly convinced that this is one of the key reasons to reproduce the marvelous clinic effects by the herbal therapy in the << Shanghan Lun >>.  

(4). The herbs here means the raw, not yet cooked herbs. In our clinic, we use the herbal granules. It means that the herbs have been cooked, then dried into a powder form. When use, you only need to mix a proper amount of the herb granule with hot water to dissolve it. It is easy to drink. In our experience, the herbal function is still excellent. If the herb does not work, check the diagnosis and the amount used, see if something is wrong in the doctor’s side, not the herbal formula. You can buy the herb form in granules from most of the herbal distributors in your city. 

(5). The book << Shanghan Lun>> has several versions. The one we used here is the citation from another big TCM book <<Yi Zong Jin Jian>> which is written in Qing dynasty in China (200 years ago). We only translated major parts of the book << Shanghan Lun>>.

(6). For how to understand the Shanghan Lun, there are more than 1000 doctors who have given their own explanations. (you can see how important the book is). So, if our translation here is not as what you know, or as the TCM doctor around you they know, don’t be surprised. The translation here is OUR version. For your reference to discuss with TCM doctors around you, we include the original Chinese version as well. But make sure that your TCM doctor, no matter if they are Chinese or not, really spend time to learn it before your discussion. Not every TCM doctor graduated form China has good knowledge of this book. So, you may be advanced over them from today.