Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases)
Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases) is a seminal work on Warm Disease theory authored by the Qing Dynasty physician Wu Jutong and completed in 1798. This text systematically synthesizes pre-Qing knowledge and clinical experience in treating externally contracted febrile diseases, particularly those of the Warm-Heat and Damp-Heat types. It innovatively established a complete diagnostic and treatment system for Warm Diseases, structured around "Triple Burner Pattern Differentiation" as its framework and interwoven with "Wei-Qi-Ying-Xue (Defensive-Qi-Nutritive-Blood) Pattern Differentiation." It marks the point where Warm Disease theory formally separated from the framework of Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage), becoming an independent clinical discipline. Together with Cold Damage theory, it forms the two main pillars of Chinese medicine for treating externally contracted febrile diseases.
Core Theoretical Framework
1. Triple Burner Pattern Differentiation as the Framework: It pioneered the use of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Burners as the framework for identifying the location and transmission pathway of disease. Upper Burner disorders (Heart/Lungs) often represent the initial stage, Middle Burner disorders (Spleen/Stomach) the severe stage, and Lower Burner disorders (Liver/Kidneys) the late stage, revealing the layered progression and patterns of organ involvement in Warm Diseases.
2. Wei-Qi-Ying-Xue Pattern Differentiation as the Weft: It deepened and systematized Ye Tianshi's "Wei-Qi-Ying-Xue" theory, clearly defining the four pathological stages of Warm Disease progression from exterior to interior, shallow to deep (Wei → Qi → Ying → Xue), and establishing the characteristic patterns and general treatment principles for each stage.
3. Establishing the Core Principles of Clearing Heat and Nourishing Yin: Addressing the core pathogenesis of Warm Diseases where "Heat pathogens easily damage Yin fluids," the entire text is guided by the treatment principles of "clearing heat to protect fluids" and "nourishing Yin to rescue liquids." This provides fundamental guidance for treating infectious and contagious diseases.
Content & Clinical Contributions
Modeled on the format of Shang Han Lun, the text is written in a concise,条文-based style. Comprising six volumes, it outlines 265 treatment principles and includes 208 formulas, offering high clinical utility.
1. Clear Pattern Differentiation, Rigorous Methodology: Each entry typically states the disease/pattern, explains the pathogenesis, establishes the treatment method, and then provides the formula and herbs, creating a coherent and logical thread from theory to practice.
2. Source of Famous, Highly Effective Formulas: The text created and recorded many famous formulas still widely used today, such as Yin Qiao San (Lonicera & Forsythia Powder), Sang Ju Yin (Mulberry Leaf & Chrysanthemum Beverage), Qing Ying Tang (Clear the Nutritive Level Decoction), An Gong Niu Huang Wan (Peaceful Palace Bovine Bezoar Pill), and San Ren Tang (Three Seeds Decoction). It is celebrated as a "treasury of Warm Disease formulas."
3. Detailed Differentiation of Damp-Heat vs. Warm-Heat: It systematically distinguishes the different etiologies, pathomechanisms, and progression patterns of Warm-Heat diseases versus Damp-Heat diseases, offering incisive discussions on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions like Damp-Warm and Summer-Heat Warm disorders, greatly enriching the therapeutic approach to complex febrile diseases.
Wen Bing Tiao Bian represents a major advancement in Chinese medical theory following Shang Han Lun, bringing Warm Disease theory to maturity and completion. Its theoretical system played a key role in managing epidemics after the Qing Dynasty. In modern clinical practice, it remains highly valuable for guiding the treatment of various infectious, contagious, and immune-related diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, encephalitis, and hepatitis. Treatment principles from the text, like "treat the Upper Burner as if [handling something] light as a feather, treat the Middle Burner with balance, treat the Lower Burner with weight," have become classic maxims in Chinese medicine.
