Mid C20 Chinese medical illustration in trad. style: Smallpox

Youke san zhong (Three Books of Paediatrics) is a mid 20th century composite edition of three classics of paediatrics: Zengbu douzhen yusui jinjing lu (The Gold And Chalcedony Mirror of Pox Diseases, Expanded Edition) by Weng Zhongren (Ming period, 1368-1644), Youke tiejing (Iron Mirror of Paediatrics) by Xia Ding (Qing period, 1644-1911), and Xiao'er tuina guangyi (Overview of Paediatric tuina Massage) by Xiong Yingxiong (Qing period). A small number of illustrations are included in a supplement.

This illustration of ''Fish-Scale Seat' (linzuo) pox, in traditional ink and brush style, comes from The Gold And Chalcedony Mirror of Pox Diseases.

The text states: 'Fish-Scale Seat' (linzuo) refers to pox (dou) resembling the scales of a fish, concentrated around the huantiao (Jumping in a Circle) point on the buttocks. This location is also the ground (di) of zhiyin (Reaching Yin) [on the Bladder channel], so if the discharge of pus is confined to huantiao, it cannot be cured (?). If the lesions are flat, dry and sluggish, one should use Muscle Freeing and Wisdom Channelling Powder (songji tongsheng san) with hyssop/achyrantes (niuxi). If they are hard, dark purple and burning hot, one should use Diaphragm-Cooling and Poison-Combating powder (liangge gongdu san) minus bean-root, plus hyssop/achyrantes.

Heading: 'Fish-Scale Seat' (linzuo)