Author, date and editions of Dahe Waike in the Ming Dynasty

Abstract

Written by WANG Quan in the Ming Dynasty, Dahe Waike is a TCM surgery monograph with both figures and texts. Barely mentioned in other medical works, the edition published in the 38(th) year of the Wanli Period (1610) and held in the National Archives of Japan (No. 050-0004 I) has been taken as a unique work of great value. Other names of the book, the author's birthplace, the time of writing and the continuation of editions of the book were still unknown. Our study shows that: one of the other names of the book is Huisheng Waike Yifang, which has exactly the same content as Dahe Waike; Dahe is the abbreviation of Dahewei which was the site of the garrison troops in the Ming Dynasty and is located in Yellow River Basin (from Hexia County, Chuzhou District, Huaian City, Jiangsu Province to the Yuntiguan Site); the book was completed in the 5(th) year of the Yongle Period (1407); contents about Yangmeichuang were added in the book in later years (first recorded in the Hongzhi and Zhengde Periods); there are now 9 editions and the relationship of those editions is almost clear. Those results are of great value for research and use of the book.