History and Development of TCM Case Report in a Real-World Setting

Table 2

Summary of main contributions of TCM case records in the middle period.

Representative books	Author	Time	Contribution to the TCM case records
Ninety syndromes of typhoid diseases	Xu Shu-wei	1133 AD	It was the first existing TCM case records monograph, and the earliest collection of typhoid case records. The book described ninety cases of typhoid.
Prescriptions of formularies for universal relief	Xu Shu-wei	1143–1154 AD	It was the representative formularies that compiled TCM case records in the form of an appendix. He was the pioneer to record clinical cases behind his prescriptions, which expounded his TCM theory and had an impact on the format of TCM case record.
The appropriate way of recognizing and treating infant maladies	Qian Yi’s disciple	1119 AD	It was the earliest extant, well-preserved, and complete monograph of paediatric case records in China written by Qian Yi’s disciple. In the view of Dr. Qian’s cases, we deduced that he was the pioneer to differentiate the symptoms of diseases.
Han’s medical treatment	Han Mao	1522 AD	It was firstly to put forward the specific regulations on TCM case record, including inspection, auscultation, olfaction, inquiry, pulse-taking, palpation, diagnosis, and treatment. These regulations were subdivided into 27 specific items. This was the first time for TCM doctors to put forward the standardized writing structure and elements of TCM case record.
Essence of pulse theory	Wu Kun	1584 AD	It further supplemented and modified the writing structure and elements of TCM case record as “seven aspects and one quotation.”
Experience of Chinese medicine	Yu Jia-yan	1643 AD	It contained a specialized chapter about the standardization of writing content and format of TCM case record. It completed the standardization of the items in TCM case record, which played a crucial role in the training of clinical ability, the in-depth discussion of TCM theories, and the improvement of clinical level and also had great practical significance to promotes the development of TCM case record.
Classified medical records of celebrated physicians	Jiang Quan and his son	1549 AD	It collected all of the monographs on medical case records of their predecessors before Ming dynasty, which was the first summary of TCM case records in Chinese history. It provided their pioneering experience for the compilation of TCM case records, which was important work linking the past with the future.
Supplement to classified case records of celebrated physicians	Wei Zhi-xiu and Wang Shi-xiong	1770 AD	It was considered the great work and second summary of TCM case records. It not only provided comprehensive data for his successors to analyze TCM but also lay a foundation for promoting the development of case records. Until now, it was still the largest extant writings of TCM case records, which was of high value in both literature and academic.
Compendium of Materia Medica	Li Shi-zhen	1578 AD	It was the first time to provide corroborative evidence of the efficacy of the medicinal product through attaching the relevant TCM case records below each herbal medicine.
Medical Records as a Guide to Clinical Work	Ye Tian-shi	1764 AD	It has become the most researched, the most numerous edition, and the most reprinted personal medical monograph. Its record content was relatively comprehensive and has rich and profound meaning, which still plays an important role in the enlightenment of later generations to learn about TCM case records.

TCM: traditional Chinese medicine.