Chunyu Yi
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Chunyu Yi | |
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| Born | c. 205–215 BC |
| Other names | Canggong (倉公) |
| Occupations | Physician, granary official |
| Chunyu Yi | |||||||||
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| Chinese | 淳于意 | ||||||||
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Chunyu Yi (Chinese: 淳于意)[a] was a Chinese physician and bureaucrat active during the Western Han dynasty. A minor official in charge of a granary in Qi, he became renowned as a healer. He is noted as an early source of case histories.
Chunyu was born around 205 BC[4] and 215 BC[5] to a prominent land-owning family.[4] According to biographer Sima Qian, writing in the 105th chapter of his Records of the Grand Historian,[6] Chunyu was a minor official in charge of the granary in the state of Qi. In 180 BC, aged about 35, he began a career as a physician by studying the writings of legendary physician Bian Que while being mentored by both Gongsun Guang (公孫光) and Yang Zhongqian (杨中倩).[7] Sima's biography of Chunyu also contains some 25 case histories.[8] In diagnosing his patients, Chunyu, who reportedly could "tactually perceive" qi,[8] had the custom of "explaining his observations in relation to authoritative texts".[9] For instance, after observing a "hot reading from the lungs" of a man who had died "from an illness gotten from engaging in sexual intercourse while in a rage", Chunyu recalled the Maifa (脈法) or Model of the Pulse: "If the pulse is uneven but drumlike, the body will dissipate."[9]
Chunyu's reputation as an adept healer earned him an audience with the King of Qi.[10] At the same time, Chunyu habitually criticised the methods of his fellow physicians.[4] He was also targeted by the relatives of "people whom he did not treat".[11] Sometime between 176 and 167 BC,[11] he was arrested for malpractice, on the grounds that he had refused to treat a certain patient, and sentenced to "certain punishment by mutilation".[5] However, he was pardoned by Emperor Wen,[5] following an impassioned appeal by Chunyu's youngest daughter, Tiying.[11] After being released from prison, Chunyu wrote an autobiography,[5] a medical treatise concerning etiology, diagnosis, and treatment,[12] as well as several case histories which were subsequently included in Sima Qian's work.[5] Little is known about Chunyu Yi's later years, apart from the fact that he had at least five students.[13]
