Cao Tingdong

Cao Tingdong

Cao Tingdong (1700-1785) was a health practitioner in Qing Dynasty. A court building. He was born in Weitang Town, Jiashan, Zhejiang Province. He lived during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. He was 86 years old (see Cao Tingdong's Chronicle).

He is quiet in nature and has been praised as filial and honest. He is diligent and erudite, and has studied Classics, history, CI and textual research. Especially good health science, and practice, enjoy nearly 90 years of life. He wrote the book Lao Heng Yan, which is a famous monograph on health care for the elderly.

Life and works

Qianlong six years (1741) Ju Ren. He is less fond of learning and more diligent in poetry and prose. After middle age, Jue Yi official career, in the home tired soil for the mountain, said "mountain". Play the piano, write poems, write orchid and bamboo, copy the seal to amuse yourself. Cao's works are quite abundant and he has his own family. There are 9 volumes of Chan he Ting poetry anthology, 2 volumes of Li Tong, 1 volume of Qin Xue Nei Pian, 1 volume of Wai Pian, Jisheng and Xuji of Wei Tang, etc. His six great works, such as Yizhun and Tongshi of Xiaojing, are mostly included in Siku Quanshu. There are five volumes of health preserving monograph Lao Heng Yan (also known as health preserving essays). It's easy to learn how to keep healthy. Cao is a zither expert, calligrapher and painter. He often plays the zither to nourish his heart and enjoy painting and calligraphy. In addition to advocating peace of mind, nourishing the mind, careful daily life, suitable for cold and warm, we pay more attention to diet and regulating the spleen and stomach. He thinks that the spleen and stomach are injured if the diet is not strict, and points out that "the spleen and stomach are the foundation of the day after tomorrow, and it is better to regulate the spleen and stomach in old age." It is also believed that "the stomach Yang is weak and all kinds of diseases are born, and the spleen yin is sufficient and all kinds of pathogenic Qi rest." Therefore, controlling diet and regulating the spleen and stomach are conducive to the normal digestion and transportation of diet and essence, so as to ensure the nutrition of all parts of the human body and lead to health and longevity.

Cao Tingdong and health preservation

Cao Tingdong agreed with Hua Tuo's argument in food theory that food should be digested and absorbed easily before it can be supplied with nutrition. The so-called three changes: one is cremation, the other is mouth, and the third is abdomen. It is emphasized that "cremation is the only way for the elderly". This is because most of the teeth of the elderly fall off, the oral force decreases, the function of the spleen and stomach gradually weakens, and the abdominal force decreases. Therefore, most of them rely on the boiling and steaming of cremation, which is conducive to the dissipation and transportation of nutrients. in terms of diet control, the first priority is the appropriateness of the amount of food, which is in favor of "measuring the amount of food received by the belly", that is, the diet should be controlled according to the amount of the belly, rather than more than less. Therefore, he said, "it's good to eat less. The spleen is easy to grind and transport, and it's easy to melt semen. Otherwise, if you eat more, you will get hurt." if you add more, you will disturb the stomach qi. Cao also paid close attention to the appropriate hot and cold diet. He stressed that the cold and hot food should comply with the natural changes of the four seasons. Generally speaking, it is better to eat hot food in cold winter and cool food in cool summer. However, because the stomach is warm and averse to cold, heat will do less harm and cold will do more harm. Therefore, he believes that it is better to eat too hot than too cold, and points out: "fruits and melons should also be careful when they are raw and cold. The stomach likes to be warm, and when it is warm, it will disperse, when it is cold, it will coagulate, when it is coagulated, the stomach will be injured first, and the spleen will not move." In addition, Cao also believed that regulating the spleen and stomach not only lies in moderate food intake and suitable heat and cold, but also in stopping the stomach after "meal". He must walk slowly for hundreds of steps to disperse the Qi and transport it to the food, so as to grind the stomach and digest it easily. However, it also points out that "you should not rush when you are full of food. If you rush, your Qi will go against. It is not only difficult for food to melt, but also causes congestion." And cautioned not to eat that is lying down, so when the "stomach side food, spleen and not" so easy to hurt the stomach. If you want to lie down after eating, "you should lie down on the right side to infuse the Qi of the spleen If you eat far away (after eating for a long time), you should be able to control Xu (capital) Cao also attached great importance to the measures of drinking porridge to nourish the stomach in order to prolong life. He believes that "porridge can benefit people, especially for old age", "daily fasting, eating a cup of light porridge (bowl), can push through the old and bring forth the new (can promote metabolism), promote body fluid and stomach (make the spleen and stomach function smooth), the benefit is not small." Even think that "there are competing solar porridge, regardless of meal (meal), hunger is food, can also be strong, enjoy longevity." Therefore, he compiled as many as 100 prescriptions for medicinal porridge, which can be "prepared for the elderly". It can be seen from the above that among the various measures of comprehensive health preservation, Cao Tingdong paid enough attention to and advocated food, diet, careful medicine and medicinal porridge combined with his own practical experience.

Selected poems by Cao Tingdong

Autumn swallow

If the guest floats and shakes, he can't help falling flowers, so the lane is still in pursuit. Sparse curtain clear dawn difference pool shadow, drizzle dusk to live in the heart. Dance all over the empty court, people are silent, words are cold, dreams are deep. Yu Jintang is full of autumn fleas and worries about both living together. Chen Xianliang lived in seclusion. He was far east of Huangdun, far east of Huangdun. Huangdun temple, commonly known as Huangdun temple, is located in Jiunan district. It is a memorial temple for Shenliang. Think of chaimen misty, white cattle lie idle green poplar.

Tunxi

The beauty of the country is here, and the remnant mountains and waters are far behind. Drama pity Zhongxi man ancient, scale on the hall before the old.

Plum blossom ferry

The fragrant snow disappears, the tobacco is flat, and the birds sing by the bridge. Xiaoxuan easy to listen to the spring rain, cold thin a corner horizontal.

West Village

Tin kind of grace with the back of the war, pine catalpa cross Ying stone unicorn. I don't know what the rope looks like today. I'm ashamed of the tomb worshiper in Qingshan.

Cha jiadang

Whose house is built on the beach? It's passed down by Chengbo's surname. The lotus leaves disappear, the reed leaves grow, and the fishing flute swallows the autumn smoke.

Ruizhuju

It's new and fragrant. It's old and decaying. There are not many sceneries of tobacco branches and leaves, so we should cultivate them carefully and wait for later generations.

Bian Yue

The hunting fire in the camp gate is rare at night, and the frost is flying everywhere. The shadow of heaven and human is small, and the traces of sea geese are tiny. Tooth flag dark flash strict key, the account alone open cold iron clothes. Wu Xiang Feng Hou Kong Yi De, long Sha Wan Li Feng Qing Hui.

Ma Hefei

Ma Hefei, a native of Tongcheng, was named Zhenqing. At the beginning of Qianlong period, filial piety and honesty were advocated. There is "Yi Yi Zhai poetry note".

Just in time

The winding path passes through Linkou, and the rock layer meets the stone ladder. When you get to Qingzhang gate, you'll have guests and white clouds. The rain stops, the spring starts to ring, and the flowers and birds sing. He has always been wild, so he will live deep.

Moon night to Yuping nunnery

The ancient temple is green, and the streams and mountains are just like you. When the moon goes down, Xinran goes alone. Spring streams are full of sunshine, and cold pines are quiet. Complex Yin gradually blurred, sparse shadow scattered forest. One path is deep and the stick is on the edge. Eminent monk night is not dusk, open a total of clear Xuan Lang. If you sit for a long time, you will have nothing to say.

Taibai Tower

Yellow leaves one day autumn, Castle Peak hundred feet building. The old moon at the head of the building shines on the river at night.

Chinese PinYin : Cao Ting Dong