The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine or Huang Ti Nei Ching medicine and is recognized as a landmark of the greatest philosophical importance for the history of Chinese civilization. From early times it has existed in two parts: The Su Wen or Simple Questions which is written as a dialogues between the Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti, and his Chief minister, Ch’i Po, and the Ling Shu Ching or the Vital Axis, which might be rendered as the Principles of Medicine, and which is of somewhat later date. The Ling Shu Ching serves not only to clarify but to provide greater
insight into the basic philosophy which led to the establishment of a systematic medicine that exists to this day. Although the Su Wen has been trandslated into English by Professor Ilza Veith, who through its medium provides us with an excellent introduction to the world of Oriental medicine, litle has been done to utilize the Ling Shu Ching to gain deeper insight intothe historical andphilosophical problems which arise in what at first sight appears to be a highly speculative, though systematised, but irrational practice.