Yuan and Heng’s Compendium of Equine Cures 元亨療馬集

A series of images from the late Ming-Dynasty veterinary manuscript 元亨療馬集 (Yuan Heng Liao Ma Ji) or Yuan and Heng’s Compendium of Equine Cures, depicting the various stages of the dental development in a horse’s life.

The Yuan Heng Liao Ma Ji was written in 1608 by two brothers, 喻仁 Yu Ren and 喻杰 Yu Jie, famous veterinarians hailing from modern day Anhui province. The former took the name 元 Yuan and the latter the name 亨 Heng, which is where the book takes its name from, although the term 元亨 Yuan Heng can also mean “Greatly Auspicious”.

It was published together with the 元亨療馬集 Yuan Heng Liao Niu Ji or Yuan and Heng’s Compendium of Bovine Cures and later with the 驼经 She Jing or The Snake Classic, which is considered a later addition. The text is separated into 4 sections according to season, and includes 112 images all together. Each section of the text deals with the diagnosis, disease pathology and treatment of horses using techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion and external and internal application of herbal therapies.

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