关于清宫锭子药的几个问题

Several Questions Concerning Dingsiyao in the Qing Dynasty

锭子药是清宫药品中极为特殊的一种,它并不是某种中成药的特有名称,而是以防暑避疫为主治功能的多种药品的统称。以赏赐御制药品与臣工联络情感是清帝惯用的政治手段,但只有锭子药的赏赐成为年例,在每年端午节前进行。锭子药大多用于赏赐的特点,使制作者不仅把它看作是药品,同时还将其视为工艺品。另一方面,锭子药的剂型也让精雕细琢成为可能。本文主要依据档案,在参考有关史籍的基础上,结合故宫博物院所藏医药文物,探讨锭子药的种类、制作和某些特殊用途等诸问题。

Dingziyao was an extremely specific type of medicine used in the Qing Dynasty imperial palaces,but it was not the name of a particular preparation but was the name for a class of medicines used preventatively in hot weather to combat infection.The presentation of particular imperial medicines by the emperor to his officials was a political exercise;only dingziyao preparations were presented annually by the emperor at the time of the Duanwu festival.Dingziyao was prepared not only as a medicine but it was fashioned to resemble an artwork,while the preparation itself was amenable to delicate carving.On the basis of palace archives and related historical documents,as well as medical relics in the collections of the Palace Museum,the author from the Palace Museum examines the varieties of dingziyao,their mode of manufacture and the specific uses.