The word Huifu is an outstanding forensic scientist in ancient China. Zhu is a native of Jianyang (now Fujian) and a master of Neo-Confucianism. He studied Confucianism since he was a child. After becoming an official, he experienced more than ten local officials and was responsible for many times in prison. Finally, he managed to appease the ambassador in Guangdong. I've handled countless cases in my life. Two years before his death (A.D. 1247), he wrote and published five volumes of Remedy Collection. This book is the crystallization of his life experience and thoughts, not only for China, but also for the world. It is more than 350 years earlier than the similar works written by Italian Fitonado Federi in A.D. 1602.
The author applied Chinese medicine, which was in the leading position in the world at that time, to prison inspection, and comprehensively summarized the practical experience of government officials' prison inspection since the pre-Qin period, making it systematic and theoretical. Therefore, once published, this book became a necessary book for prison officials at that time and later, and was almost regarded as the golden rule, and its authority even exceeded the relevant laws promulgated by the feudal court. For more than 750 years, this book has been translated into Korean, Japanese, French, English, Dutch, German, Russian and other languages. Until now, many countries are still studying it. Its far-reaching influence has left a glorious page in the history of medicine, forensic medicine and science and technology at home and abroad. The scientific spirit of seeking truth from facts, which runs through it, is still shining and worth carrying forward.
At that time, Neo-Confucianism prevailed in Zhu Cheng. This is a huge, complete and exquisite ideological system of idealism. During the reign of Song Lizong (A.D. 1225- 1264), Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism was elevated to the supreme position and became the undisputed official ruling ideology. Its representatives, such as Zhou Dunyi, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi and Zhu, were named Chun Gong, Chun Gong and Wen Gong respectively, and they worshipped the Confucius Temple with great glory. It can be seen that the influence of Neo-Confucianism at this time is great.
As Zhu's hometown and later school, Song Ci received systematic education and long-term edification from Neo-Confucianism. When I was a teenager, I was employed by my fellow countryman "Kaoting (Zhu's residence is also his name)" Wu Zhi. After entering imperial academy, he was really appreciated by the famous Neo-Confucianist and disciple Zhu at that time and studied under him. After being a scholar, I have been an official for many years. By nature, such a person must have a strong idealist philosophy.
However, Song Ci shows a materialistic tendency in the theory and practice of forensic medicine. In his masterpieces handed down from generation to generation, there is no empty idealistic preaching of Neo-Confucianism, and the spirit of seeking truth is strongly advocated. Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism holds that "everything in heaven and earth is just a principle", and the body of human heart embodies reason or righteousness, "wholeheartedly, Zhan Ran is empty and bright, and everything is sufficient" and "everything is in one heart". In other words, I have everything in my heart and don't need to ask for it. If you act according to this, you don't need to know the reality of the outside world at all, just think with your heart. Song ci is just the opposite. He turned Zhu's idealistic "poverty and reason" into a materialistic epistemological principle, not a heartfelt "poverty and reason", but seeking truth from facts.
At that time, state and county officials often entrusted life-threatening prison matters to newly elected officials or soldiers with no practical experience, who were easily deceived; In addition, some people are afraid of hardship and dirt, do not conduct on-the-spot investigation of the case, or even go to the crime scene, but are "eager to see, cover their noses and disdain", so it is inevitable that there will be mistakes in judgment, and even black and white will be reversed, leading to confusion between right and wrong and countless unjust prisons.
As a prison officer, Song Ci hated this phenomenon and strongly opposed it. In the process of hearing lawsuits and reasoning about punishment, he put human life first and sought truth from facts. He said: "Cisi has written to (law enforcement officers). He's not long. He works alone in prison. He dare not be a little slow. " This confession is indeed a portrayal of his serious attitude in serving his sentence for many years. He paid special attention to the actual inspection of the case and thought: "Prison matters are more important than the monarch, the monarch is more important than the first love, and the first love is more important than the inspection. Cover the right of life and death, and there is a chance to bend over and stretch out, so I will decide. " It means that beheading is the heaviest punishment, which is determined by the facts of the crime, and the facts of the crime must be tested before they can be identified, so the result of the test is often life and death. Only in this way, the inspection must not be perfunctory and go through the motions, but must be serious and responsible, "seeking truth from facts" and must find out the true situation of the case. "It is important to judge without losing money." To do this, Song believes that inspection officials must "see for themselves". No matter where the crime occurs, we should also "visit the body personally" and "avoid serious injury" Otherwise, it should be punished with a stick for dereliction of duty. Even if the case happened in summer and the body smelled bad, the inspection official "must be single-minded and can't avoid odor."