Liu Juanzi Guiyi Fang (traditional Chinese:劉涓子鬼遺方;simplified Chinese:刘涓子鬼遗方;pinyin:Liú Juānzi Guǐyí Fāng),[a] also known asShenxian Yi Lun (Chinese:神仙遺論;pinyin:Shénxiān yí lùn),[4] is a Chinese medical text allegedly written by the titular Liu Juanzi and published during theNorthern and Southern dynasties in 499. The original text comprised ten volumes and is no longer extant; an abridged version by Gong Qingxuan was published sometime in theSong dynasty.
According to tradition,Liu Juanzi Guiyi Fang was written in the early 5th century by military physician Liu Juanzi (劉涓子),[5] who had received ayong ju fang (癰疽方; "Recipes for [the Treatment of] Obstruction- and Impediment-Illnesses") from a ghost named Huangfu (黄父).[3] First published during theNorthern and Southern Dynasties in 499,[3][4] it is the earliest known Chinese medical text about surgery.[5][6][7] The original text comprised tenjuan or volumes but is no longer extant,[4] although fragments were unearthed inXinjiang in 1902.[8]
Much of the original text was reproduced in later publications such as theWai tai mi yao fang (外臺秘要方) and theZheng lei ben cao (證類本草).[9] Moreover, a surviving abridged version containing five of the original ten volumes was compiled by Gong Qingxuan (龔慶宣;fl. 550–577) and published sometime in theSong dynasty (960–1279).[4] Almost all of the formulae in the five-volume edition were copied intoSun Simiao'sQianjin yifang (千金翼方).[10]
The five volumes collected in Gong Qingxuan's revision pertain to the causes and treatment ofulcers andcarbuncles as well as the treatment of other maladies such asblood stasis,burns,insomnia,mastitis,rectal prolapse, andscabies.[11]