Wang Haogu (; 1200–1264),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Haizang (), was a Chinese physician and writer. He authored a treatise on insanity and its remedies, in addition to a ''

materia medica ''Materia medica'' ( lit.: 'medical material/substance') is a Latin term from the history of pharmacy for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing (i.e., medications). The term derives f ...

'' that uniquely categorised drugs according to the theory of the '' wuxing'' (Five Phases).

Career

After becoming a ''

jinshi ''Jinshi'' () was the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The examination was usually taken in the imperial capital in the palace, and was also called the Metropolitan Exam. Recipients are sometimes referre ...

'' (graduate of the highest imperial examinations), Wang studied medicine with . Wang was a native of Zhaozhou,

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

, while Li resided in the nearby county of Zhending. Wang was particularly influenced by Li's philosophy of "flexible" medication. His ''Yinzheng lüeli'' () builds on Li's writings and provides, for the first time, a "replenshing therapy for a mad patient". In the book, which comprises twelve volumes and recounts some of his experiences as an army physician, Wang distinguishes between ''yang'' madness and ''yin'' madness. He notes in the appendix that he borrowed an "anti-fire" remedy from the ''

Shanghan lun The ''Shanghan Lun'' (; variously known in English as the ''Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases','' ''Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders'' or the ''Treatise on Cold Injury'') is a part of ''Shanghan Zabing Lun'' (. It is a Traditional Chinese med ...

'' or ''Treatise on Cold Injury'' to treat a woman who was suffering from ''yang'' madness. However, he criticises the ''Shanghan lun'' for glossing over ''yin'' madness, and recommends his own remedy for it, which involves aconite and

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

. Wang's formulas became the standard cures for insanity in 15th-century China. Wang rejected the standard pharmalogical practices that had emerged during the Tang and

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

dynasties. His three-volume ''

'', titled ''Tangye bencao'' () and compiled around 1246, was a unique attempt at categorising drugs according to the theory of '' wuxing'' (Five Phases), instead of in terms of animals, minerals, and plants. Wang is credited with being the first to observe that purging croton ('' Croton tiglium'') seeds or ''ba dou'' (), which were already widely known to be a

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

, also had anti-

diarrhea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...

properties. Later in the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, physician

Li Shizhen Li Shizhen (July 3, 1518 – 1593), courtesy name Dongbi, was a Chinese acupuncturist, herbalist, naturalist, pharmacologist, physician, and writer of the Ming dynasty. He is the author of a 27-year work, the '' Compendium of Materia ...

was able to successfully treat diarrhea with croton seeds too, after reading Wang's writings.

Career

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