Opinion ID: 466567
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Grand Dictionary of Chinese Medicine and Drugs

Text: 11 (The Grand Dictionary ) 12 The Grand Dictionary, published in Hong Kong in 1963 and written in Chinese, is based on ancient Chinese compilations assembled roughly 500 years ago from works of physicians going back 4000-5000 years. Only a portion of the 1963 Chinese text was before the court and is before us on appeal. For purposes of this litigation, that portion was translated into English by Block's translator, Roger Wei-Ming Tsao (Mr. Cao). Mr. Cao is a doctor of Chinese medicine and a bilingual tutor. Block's other expert, Dr. Stephen Wei, a professor of dentistry fluent in Chinese, concurred in that translation. The writings from which the Grand Dictionary was compiled are not in evidence nor are any earlier writings. 13 In a nutshell, the district court relied upon the Grand Dictionary because of its discussion of xiao shi to which the Grand Dictionary associates the name niter and the chemical composition KNO3 and the ability to cure, inter alia, tooth pain. The court's opinion was that this reference teaches the use of xiao shi, which is the same as niter and is therefore the same as potassium nitrate, to cure tooth pain; thus, the teachings of the Rosenthal patent and the Grand Dictionary show that the '006 invention would have been obvious. 14 The following discussion and quotations are part of an attempt to convey the nature of the Grand Dictionary. The translated portion of the Grand Dictionary is entitled Niter. The text under the first subheading Nomenclature reads: It was so named because it has the power to consume various stones. Under Other Names Stated in Classical Medical Books, the text reads Mang Xiao (Bie-Lu), Bitter Xiao (Zhen-Quan), Flaming Xiao (Tu-Su) ... and Xiao-Shi .... Thereafter, following Foreign Names, the Grand Dictionary reads: Salpetrae, Salnitri (in Latin); Niter (in English); and Salpoter (in German). One page later, KNO3  is listed under Chemical Composition. 15 The portion upon which Block and the district court rely to show that this substance cures tooth pain is headed Collective Statements and reads: 16 (Ming): Li-Shi-Zhen said: It cures summer infections and the catching of colds. It cures acute enteritis with severe vomiting, exertion through excessive sexual activity, black jaundice, chronic abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, headaches and tooth pain. 17 The next three or so pages of the Grand Dictionary list the ailments that this substance cures. An interesting but not atypical paragraph reads: For curing the paralysis of the four limbs, leprosy or problems caused by Taoist stone eating. This substance also apparently cures indigestion, lack of energy, typhoid, cataracts, and much, much more. The Grand Dictionary compares what appears to be various forms in which xiao shi is found, and the characteristics of each. An excerpt is: 18 Pu-Xiao (Na2 SO4 ) has the nature of water, tastes salty, and its flavor is cold. It can only descend and cannot ascend. It is Yin within Yin--that's why it can cleanse the accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract and can expel the San-Jiao devilish fire. Whereas Niter (KNO3 ) has the nature of fire, tastes bitter and spicy, tastes slightly salty and has a flavor which is very warm, it's [sic] nature is ascending. It is fire within water. That's why it can break the accumulation and disperse hardness, and cure the febrile diseases.