The Shang Han Lun (simplified Chinese: 伤寒论; traditional Chinese: 傷寒論; pinyin: Shānghán lùn) or Shang Han Za Bing Lun (simplified Chinese: 伤寒杂病论; traditional Chinese: 傷寒雜病論; pinyin: Shānghán zábìng lùn), known in English as the Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders or the Treatise on Cold Injury, is a Chinese medical treatise that was compiled by Zhang Zhongjing sometime before the year 220, at the end of the Han dynasty. It is the oldest complete clinical textbook in the world, and one of the four canonical works that students must study in traditional Chinese medical education.
The Shang Han Lun has 397 sections with 112 herbal prescriptions, organised into the Six Divisions[1] :
Tai Yang (greater yang): a milder stage with external symptoms of chills, fevers, stiffness, and headache. Therapy: sweating.
Yang ming (yang brightness): a more severe internal excess yang condition with fever without chills, distended abdomen, and constipation. Therapy: cooling and eliminating.
Shao yang (lesser yang): half outside, half inside half excess and half deficiency with chest discomfort, alternating chills, and fever. Therapy: harmonizing.
Tai yin (greater yin): chills, distended abdomen with occasional pain. Therapy: warming with supplementing.
Shao yin (lesser yin): weak pulse, anxiety, drowsiness, diarrhea, chills, cold extremities. Therapy: warming with supplementing.
Jue yin (absolute yin): thirst, difficult urination, physical collapse. Therapy: warming with supplementing.[2]