Classica Sinica Medica is a reading site for the classical medical literature of China. We publish the original text, a romanised reading, and an English rendering on the same line — so that a reader who is learning the language can see exactly which English word answers to which Chinese character.
What we publish
- The original text, in traditional characters, transcribed from a named base edition and identified chapter by chapter.
- Pinyin, with tone marks, written word-by-word rather than syllable-by-syllable.
- An English rendering that stays close enough to the Chinese to be used as a gloss, and notes where it departs from the literal sense.
- Collation notes where editions differ in a character — because in a textual tradition, the variant is often the point.
- Term entries that track how one Chinese term has been rendered across a century of English translation.
What this site is not
This is not a health site. We do not diagnose, prescribe, recommend, or evaluate treatments. When a classical passage describes an intervention, we present it as what the text says, attributed to its period and its author — not as guidance for a reader today. If you are looking for medical information, please consult a licensed practitioner and the clinical literature of your own jurisdiction.
Everything here is offered for education, reading, and scholarly reference: for students of classical Chinese, historians of medicine, translators, and readers who simply want to know what these books actually say.
How the texts are handled
Our transcription and translation principles are set out in full on the Editorial Method page. In short: one named base edition per work, original characters preserved without automated conversion, variant readings recorded rather than silently resolved, and one consistent English rendering per term so that a reader can follow a concept across an entire corpus.
Sources and permissions
The pre-modern Chinese texts themselves are in the public domain. Modern critical editions, modern English translations, and photographic reproductions are frequently not. Every work on this site carries a base-edition statement, and we keep a public register of what we have used and on what terms. See Rights & Sources.
Getting started
If you are new to the material, the reading paths give a ordered route through the corpus instead of dropping you into a catalogue. If you already know what you are looking for, use the library or the term index.
Corrections are welcome and are answered publicly where they concern the text. Please use the contact page.