Joseph Edkins and the introduction of western physiology in China through the Shenli qimeng

This paper offers an introductory analysis of the Shenli qimeng 身理 啟蒙 (A Primer in Physiology), one of the earliest monographs devoted to the introduction and teaching of modern physiological science in China. Notably, the text presents the subject as an autonomous discipline, distinguishing it from its earlier marginal treatment as subordinate to anatomy. After outlining the historical background of secular missionary activity in Late Imperial China and providing a brief biographical account of its author, the British missionary and translator Joseph Edkins (1823–1905), the paper examines the editorial framework, main contents, and stylistic strategies of the Shenli qimeng in light of Edkins’ pedagogical aims. Building on these elements, the study investigates how the text’s distinctive features shaped its reception and whether it played a significant role in the dissemination of modern physiological knowledge within the Chinese intellectual context of the Late Qing period.