Wen Re Lun

Wen Re Lun is a seminal work in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) authored by the renowned Qing Dynasty physician Ye Gui (1666–1745, courtesy name Tianshi), compiled posthumously by his disciple Gu Jingwen. Despite its brevity—just over 4,000 characters—the text is a cornerstone of the Heat Disease School (Wen Bing Xue), establishing foundational theories for diagnosing and treating externally contracted febrile disorders.

Ye Gui introduced the Wei-Qi-Ying-Xue (Defensive Qi, Qi, Nutritive, Blood) Syndrome Differentiation System, systematically outlining the progression patterns of Heat Diseases, diagnostic criteria and therapeutic principles. The text also emphasizes unique diagnostic techniques, such as observing tongue coatings, skin rashes, and teeth and gum conditions to assess disease severity and prognosis.

Two primary editions exist: 1, The Hua Xiuyun Edition, titled Wen Re Lun and published in 1777 (42nd year of Qianlong), collated by Ye’s disciple Hua Xiuyun. 2, The Tang Dalie Edition, titled Wen Zheng Lun Zhi (Treatise on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Heat Diseases) and published in 1792 (57th year of Qianlong), edited by Tang Dalie. While the two versions differ slightly in textual arrangement and phrasing, both are indispensable for scholarly research into Heat Disease theory.