A Study on Yin Dou Lue of Xin Geng Tang Edition in the Library of Yale University

Yin Dou Lue is a medical book written by Qiu Xi, a physician from Nanhai, Guangdong, in 1817, which discusses vaccination against cowpox. By the end of the 19th century, the book had spread throughout the country, and there are more than 76 existing versions. The Xin Geng Tang edition, published in the first year of Emperor of Tongzhi (1862), was republished by Qiu Chang, the son of Qiu Xi. It has a very small number of surviving editions, and is currently known to only have Shanxi edition, Guangtu edition, and Yale edition. This article focuses on introducing the characteristics of the Yale edition, and its differences from the Guang tu edition and various versions of Yin Dou Lue published before 1862. It also explores the publishing background of the Xin Geng Tang edition from three aspects: the outbreak of the epidemic nationwide, official funding for vaccination, and resistance to counterfeiting. It explores the editing characteristics of the book from the aspects of displaying the orthodox status of Qiu' s vaccination by layout and content design, showing Qiu' s benevolent skills and dedication by other narratives, and Showing long termed kindness by a group of five generations of authors.