From under the elbow to pointing to the palm:Chinese metaphors for learning medicine by the book(fourth-fourteenth centuries)
Marta Hanson
Abstract：This article focuses on the evolution of metaphorical expressions in the titles of ancient and medieval Chinese medical texts. Unlike the frequent use of hand-related metaphors (such as enchoridions, manuals, and handbooks) in European history to denote specific literary genres, Chinese medical texts exhibit a diverse range of bodily metaphors, with hand-related metaphors being rare in the early medieval period and quickly replaced by metaphors related to fingers and palms. Based on the development of Chinese manuscript and printed medical texts from the 4th to the 14th century, this study conducts a diachronic analysis of the formation and evolution of various metaphors in medical text titles. These metaphors not only reveal important information about changes in medical textual genres but also provide strong evidence for historians of the profound transformations in the management of Chinese medical literature. As the number of manuscripts and printed books increased, the classification of medical texts became increasingly complex. To facilitate readers' learning, medical writers of the time introduced many innovations in text structure, which are reflected in the titles of books through creative genre names, descriptive terms, and the use of metaphors.
Keywords：Song-Yuan-Ming periodChinese medical textsmetaphorlearning medicine through textsgenre
Publication Date：2025-01-20
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 44-49 )