Tong 通 – a concept denoting unhindered free flow and the vital connections thereby established – is one of the key concepts of Chinese thought that has long shaped practices as diverse (or similar) as medicine, warcraft, meditation or calligraphy. Yet, because it is so ubiquitous and not heavily theorised it does not generally receive the attention it deserves. Volker‘s paper examines the centrality of tong in the innovative work of a seventeenth century Chinese physician. It was originally published in vol 56(2) of the journal History of Science, where you can find two more essays on the topic.
Volker Scheid, “Promoting free flow in the networks: Reimagining the body in early modern Suzhou,” History of Science 56.2 (2018): 131-167.
Translating Vitalities 