An Exploration of the Imperial Pharmacy in the Song Dynasty   

Cheng Minsheng

Abstract: The Imperial Pharmacy was a medical institution first established in the last years of Emperor Taizong of Song, which started its function beyond original duty from the reign of Emperor Renzong, and acted most frequently during the reign of Emperor Shenzong and Emperor Zhezong. As the indispensable service personnel around the emperor, the Imperial Pharmacy was not only the medical supervisor for the Song court, but also managed the basic necessities of life as well as finance of the imperial family, and participated in their birth and death. Outside the court, they served as a bridge over both inside and outside the court, accompanying the supervision on drafting important documents, supervising the imperial examination as well as setting relevant system, and participating in the compiling the national history, making musical instruments, verifying the calendar, and translating the Buddhist sutra. They had done much on military, diplomacy, judicature, and disaster relief. Some of their duties were institution, some were convention, and there were more of arbitrary appointment. The characteristics of the Imperial Pharmacy system were concealing in nature, wide in duty, and arbitrary in usage, which was the imperial instrument of the emperor specific in the Song Dynasty. Ostensibly, the imperial power of the Song Dynasty was no longer tough, but it was not weakened, just changing into a more meticulous way.