Whether using the Practical Dictionary as a source of terminology, as an editorial support, or to learn how the Chinese define their terms, understanding the indexing philosophy is worthwhile. The index is huge, nearly 200 pages. It includes every term, book, medicinal, formula, acupoint and western medical correspondence found in the text. The authors designed it as a translators' glossary to save translators and scholars the need to buy a stand-alone gloss. Because the definitions section is organized like a standard dictionary, there is no need to use the index for English terms. Thus, the index is organized for those who begin their search in Chinese. For example, if you look for ``dispersion'' in the index, you won't find it. But, you will find xiao in the first tone, the three characters and terms associated with it, as well as xiao in the first tone followed by fa in the third tone, all of which are linked to ``disperse,'' or ``dispersion.''

So, for English, search directly in the text. For Chinese, you can begin in the index. However, because the Pinyin entries are listed in alphabetical order by tone (1, 2, etc.) in both the index and definitions sections, you can begin in either depending upon your need for defintion. If you know neither the Chinese nor the English for a term, you can still find it reasonably fast. Just find the definition for a related body-part, pattern or symptom. Once there, check for words in small capitals. These are further entries. Also look for the labels ``Compare, Synonym,'' and ``See.'' These are cross references to related definitions. The abbreviations ACU, MED, TRT and WMC which appear in small boxes point to treatment-related references such as acupoints, medicinals, formulas and western medical correspondences. For example, if you want a defintion or treatment but know neither the Chinese nor the English for a term related to urination, look under ``urine.'' There you will find references to associated symptoms, patterns, and treatments.

For every search, the shortest route depends upon what you know and what you need to know.

• If you know the functional class of a medicinal, and need only the nomenclature, look in Appendix II.
• If you know the functional class of a formula, and need only the nomenclature, look in Appendix III.
• If you know the latin, Chinese or English for a medicinal, and need only the nomenclature, use the index.
• If you know the Chinese or English for a formula, and need only the nomenclature, use the index.
• If you know the Chinese or English for an acupoint, and need only the nomenclature, use the index.
• If you know the channel for an acupoint, and need only the nomenclature, look in Appendix IV by aphanumeric designation.
• If you know the English for term, look in the text itself in aphabetical order, regardless of whether you need the nomenclature or the defintion.
• If you know only the Chinese for a term, look in the index first.

Wiseman and Ye have created an exemplary reference work characterized by its erudition, completeness, and accessibility. The compilers� preface details every aspect of the work�s purpose, genesis, and scope. The stated objective was to create a dictionary that would be useful to practitioners, students, and teachers of Chinese medicine in the English-speaking world, whether or not they have knowledge of Chinese and whether or not they are familiar with the terminology presented. The arrangement is alphabetical in order (as opposed to a thematic ordering) of English terms, with each entry followed by the original Chinese term and Pinyin transliteration. The definitions are often followed by extensive clinical information that may include specification of western medical correspondences, medication, acupuncture, and treatment. Entries are extensively cross-referenced, which is a key feature to accessing the content of this work given the unfamiliarity of many of the concepts. The entries conclude with references to sources, the vast majority of which are in Chinese. Also included are four appendices and an index that allows access to the English entries by their Pinyin transcriptions as well as an index to medicinals and acupuncture-point names appearing in the text.

With its approximately 6,000 entries, this encyclopedic dictionary may serve as a clinical manual and would make an invaluable tool for those learning about Chinese medical concepts. It will also be of interest to translators as the compilers have extensive experience with terminological work in this area. This is a dictionary designed for specialists and can be expected to appeal to a specific audience; nevertheless, current interest in acupuncture and other forms of alternative medicine may indicate a wider audience for this title.

Michael Weinberg, American Reference Books Annual, #30.

A Bejing Announcement of Interest Recently, a notice appeared in the Zhong guo zhong yi yao bao (The Chinese Medical and Pharmaceutical Journal of China) describing a meeting of Bejing notables to celebrate the publication of Nigel Wiseman's Chinese-English English-Chinese Dictionary of Chinese Medicine by the Hunan Science and Technology Publishing Company of the People's Republic of China. The meeting was presided over by the Editor-in-Chief of Hunan Science and Technology, Dr. Wang Yifang, and the director of the Institute for History of Medicine and Medical Literature of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr. Zheng Jinsheng, a long-time collaborator of Dr. Paul U. Unschuld. The meeting was notably attended by Li Jingwei, one of the chief editors of possibly largest Chinese medical dictionary, and by other Chinese medical experts including Yu Yingao, Lu Guanghua, and the president of the Zhong Yi Za Zhi (Chinese Medical Journal), Huang Hong-Chang. Senior fellows of Bejing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its publishing houses also attended.

The Chinese-English English- Chinese Dictionary of Chinese Medicine, which is an expanded, simplified-character version of the Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine published by Paradigm Publications in 1998, is a major achievement in the development of English TCM terminology, a fact acknowledged in two prefaces to the book, written by Chinese medical historian Paul Unschuld and the pioneer of scientific Chinese medicine, Chen Keji. The article entitled ``Chinese Medicine Becomes the Medical Property of All Humanity,'' states:

Those attending the meeting noted their agreement and praise for the English scholar's seven to eight year effort in writing a Dictionary of Chinese Medicine to help make Chinese medicine the common medical property of humanity. They unanimously agreed that this dictionary represented the new reference source for the development of academic studies, international exchange, and training in Chinese medicine, and for world-wide understanding of this subject. Those attending the meeting;also expressed their unanimous belief that the publication of this dictionary pioneers and paves a way for the standardization of Chinese medical terminology and its translation, and for the internationalization of Chinese medicine, and that it will stimulate enthusiasm among;Chinese and foreign scholars to work together building a bridge between Chinese and Western medicine and Chinese and Western culture.

Nigel Wiseman is the author of translator or co-translator of the Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine, Fundamentals of Chinese Acupuncture, and Grasping the Wind. He He teaches Latin and Chinese medical English in China Medical College and the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences in Taichung, Taiwan. His forthcoming publication A Clinical Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the English language companion to the dictionary here described, is presently in press. The Chinese-English English-Chinese Dictionary of Chinese Medicine and the Practical Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine are available from Redwing Book Company.

From the simple and common to the complex and rare, this book contains subtleties, distinctions and nuances of Chinese medicine never found in beginners' texts. Whether for translational or clinical application, it presents the concepts of Chinese medicine exactly as they would come to the mind of a Chinese physician speaking or writing in their native language.

Arranged as a classical dictionary, definitions are provided in English alphabetic order, and include the English term, the source Chinese term, its Pinyin transliteration (including spoken tone), pronounciation, etymology, and one or more definitions as applied in Chinese medicine. Terms used within definitions are cross-referenced and disease and symptom descriptions include the standard therapies applied in the People's Republic of China. Each definition is referenced to one or more Chinese source. In all, it lists the characters, Pinyin, translations, and definitions for more than 10,000 medical concepts, including treatments for the patterns catalogued, 2,000 formulas, 1,700 natural drugs, and 1,500 acupoints.

The definitions and treatments are drawn from clinically authoritative Chinese medical sources, all of which are cited. The many useful features include a full set of English common and commercial names for medicinal substances, as well as standard Latin scientific names. Western medical correspondences are noted, as is nomenclature put forward by the World Health Organization. The index is comprehensive and fully cross referenced; it also includes lesser-used terms and nomenclature so it may be used as a translators� glossary. There is one foreword by Chen Keji, the pioneer of integrated Chinese medicine, and another by Paul Unschuld, the renowned sinologist.

This is a valuable work with a scope that is absolutely breathtaking. It will provide rapid access to an enormous amount of information for the student, researcher, or clinician, and is sure to become the new reference source for academic studies, international exchange, and training in Chinese medicine.