Investigation into the Medical History of Long 癃 Urinary Disease in Bamboo and Silk Manuscripts

Abstract Writings about long 癃 can be found in the medical literature on bamboo and silk manuscripts of the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BCE –220 CE ). This article examines writings from the excavated manuscripts, together with material from the received literature, from three different aspects: definition, classification and treatment of the disease. Long 癃 , also written as 𤵸 , has two meanings. One, found in non-medical literature, is “debilitating illness” ( babing 罷病 ) and the other, found in medical literature, is “difficult urination.” These two meanings are clearly and distinctly presented in both excavated manuscripts and the received literature, indicating that such a taxonomy pre-dates the Qin and Han dynasties. From these bamboo and silk medical manuscripts, it is evident that the basis for classification and treatment of long disease had already been established. The manuscripts contain many comparable descriptions about long disease which can complement and verify each other. They provide us with primary sources for researching into medicine of the early period, enabling us to explore the origins of certain formulary drugs, as well as the transmission of medical culture.