Medical Cases from the Flower Charm Studio: A Poet and her Practice Paperback – November 28, 2025

Gù Déhuá wrote Medical Cases from the Flower Charm Studio in 1858, documenting her practice at a time when female doctors were rare. This translation uses a one-volume 1936 edition that contains twenty-nine cases, with one to fifteen treatments per case. Treatment was purely herbal, with self-care recommendations and occasional use of psychology. Doctor Gù was not specifically a gynecologist; her patients also suffered vomiting, insomnia, diarrhea, and so forth, as well as warm diseases. Doctor Gù was part of the Wúmén School of Medicine so some of her cases use eight extraordinary vessel and luò vessel theory, along with warm disease theory.Lorraine Wilcox, in this meticulous translation of case studies, provides an extraordinarily rare glimpse into the lives and practices of women healers and their patients in late imperial China. Her work illuminates the pioneering practices of Gù Déhuá. Wilcox's prolific career has consistently demonstrated dedication to uncovering the material lives of healers, presenting their work with scholarly care, intellectual curiosity, and clinical insight. Wilcox has brilliantly excavated long-buried histories chronicled by a diverse group of women practitioners who bear many valuable lessons for the modern reader.Lan A. Liauthor of Body Maps: Improvising Meridians and Nerves in Global Chinese MedicineLorraine Wilcox has done it again! Just as in Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor, she has unearthed a precious gem, a rare Qīng Dynasty text. Wilcox’s thoughtful translation is a significant contribution to a historical medicine that has been lacking in female voices. Dr. Gù’s case studies, particularly her flexible application of Guī Pí Tāng, are inspiring. Moreover, one can't help but admire her capacity to challenge other (male) doctors' treatments when necessary. Dive into Gù Déhuá's Flower Charm Studio. You won't regret it!Cara O. Frank, LOMauthor of TCM Case Studies: Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat DisordersFounder and owner of China Herb Company Read more