[The role and significance of Luo Zhiyuan's Shu yi hui bian in the history of plague in Lingnan (south of the five ridges)].

Being the earliest monograph on plague in China, Luo Zhiyuan's Shu yi hui bian, not included in the National Catalogue of TCM Books, include the following contents: personal idea on the etiology of plague; Luo's friend Wu Xuanchang' unpublished Shu yu zhi fa on the treatment and manifestations of plague; Luo's specific recipe for plague based on medified Wang Qingren's Jie du huo xue decoction based on Wang Qingrens yi lin gai cuo; therapy for critical cases; many therapies applied on Lingnan, including experimental recipes, external therapy, preventive methods, and preventing recurrence methods; Luo's special administrating methods, including persisting day-and-night method, immediate persisting method, single-dose persisting method, and double-dose persisting method. He also gave several cured case records. His book, featuring unique idea with good effect, was repeatedly printed and extensively distributed, exerting influence, more or less, on the plague monographs of later ages, and occupying important position in the history of plague on Lingnan and the whole country as well. His idea of "that poisons and static blood" in pathogenesis and therapeutic principle of antitoxicity and activating blood is coincided with the results of present day clinical and laboratory studies. His administration of medicines is heuristic to the therapy of critical cases with Chinese medicaments and to the recognition of pathogenesis, etiology, and treatment of modern plague as well as other diseases of similar etiology and pathognesis and is worth of further study.