Zheng Daosheng (1924-2015)，Professor of Internal Medicine, former Deputy Director of Internal Medicine, Renji Hospital

Introduction

He left an indelible mark on the history of Chinese medicine. Long before the advent of echocardiography, he diagnosed the location and severity of cardiac lesions with extraordinary skill, relying solely on auscultation. This remarkable ability earned him the title “Asia’s foremost authority in cardiac auscultation.”

His contributions extended far beyond diagnostics. Working in an era of extreme material scarcity and under challenging research conditions, he spearheaded the formidable task of developing a cardiac pacemaker. Driven by a profound sense of patriotism and unwavering perseverance, he overcame immense technical challenges and bottlenecks. His efforts culminated in the successful development of China’s first external demand pacemaker, fulfilling a critical national need.

He and his team rapidly moved this technology from the lab to the clinic, saving countless lives and making an indelible contribution to the development of cardiac pacing in China.

His life is a testament to boundless passion and unwavering dedication to the medical profession. His story continues to inspire generations of medical professionals to prioritize patient care, embrace scientific exploration, and relentlessly advance the field, all in service of the nation’s health.

The Path to Medicine

Hui’an County, on the southeastern coast of China’s Fujian Province, is a region of notable beauty and deep cultural heritage. The daily sea breeze carries the salt of the ocean, and the shores of Quanzhou Bay, with their soft sands and dancing seagulls, create a landscape of serene coastal life. It was here that Zheng Daosheng was born in 1924.

The China of the 1920s was a nation in transition, defined by the social turmoil of the early Republican era. Public education and healthcare were inadequate, and the seeds of modern medicine had only just begun to take root, awaiting the dedication of a new generation of aspiring minds.

Zheng Daosheng attended the prestigious Fujian Provincial High School in Fuzhou, where he built a solid foundation in science and the humanities.

In 1945, Zheng Daosheng graduated with distinction and enrolled in Fujian Medical College, one of the nation’s earliest public medical institutions. The college’s forward-thinking curriculum not only taught advanced Western medical techniques but also emphasized a broad education in the humanities, with a particular focus on medical ethics and professional conduct.

As a historic port city on the Maritime Silk Road, Fuzhou had long been a hub for open-minded exchange and Western influence, shaping its educational and medical systems.

During his five years at Fujian Medical College, Zheng Daosheng mastered foundational medical knowledge while being immersed in these advanced Western philosophies. This experience instilled in him a core belief: that medicine was not merely a collection of technical skills, but a profound vessel for humanistic care and social responsibility.

Growing with the Republic

In 1951, China was swept by a powerful historical tide. The global political climate was volatile, and the Korean War had reached the Yalu River, igniting patriotic fervor across the nation.

That year, a newly graduated Zheng Daosheng, full of youthful idealism, answered his country’s call. He enlisted as a military doctor, reporting to the Second Outpatient Department of the Central Military Commission and beginning his medical career in the service of his nation.

In 1953, with the Korean War over, Zheng Daosheng’s career took a new turn. He was transferred to Shanghai Renji Hospital, where he would practice medicine for the rest of his professional life.

Shanghai was a stronghold of modern medicine in China.

When Zheng Daosheng first arrived at Renji Hospital, it was a crucial period of expansion and development. As one of Shanghai’s most prestigious hospitals at the time, Renji Hospital attracted top-tier medical resources and advanced medical concepts. The young Zheng Daosheng injected new vitality into the institution.

In that era, echocardiography technology did not yet exist. The diagnosis of heart disease depended entirely on a physician’s auscultation skills and physical examination. It was here that Zheng’s extraordinary talent became apparent. His cardiac auscultation was considered unparalleled. Through meticulous physical exams and an exceptional ability to listen, he could pinpoint the location and extent of cardiac lesions with a precision that often astonished surgeons during operations. This diagnostic mastery earned him the renowned titles “Asia’s foremost authority in cardiac auscultation” and “The Eastern Ear.”

Zheng’s achievements were rooted not only in his skill but also in his unwavering dedication to cardiovascular medicine and his deep concern for his patients. He was rigorously methodical, giving every patient his meticulous and detailed attention. He emphasized thorough patient histories and standardized physical examinations, carefully correlating his findings with chest X-rays, ECGs, and, when available, cardiac catheterization or surgical pathology reports. This relentless pursuit of detail reflected his profound understanding of medicine and his immense sense of responsibility to those in his care.

Between 1957 and 1963, Zheng Daosheng was seconded to Shanghai Chest Hospital to help establish its Department of Cardiology, making significant contributions to elevating the hospital’s medical standards. This period honed his professional expertise and broadened his medical perspective.

In the 1960s, Zheng Daosheng became the youngest Director of a Cardiology Department in Shanghai, a testament to his outstanding achievements and status in the medical field. Under his leadership, the department flourished, dramatically enhancing the hospital’s capabilities in cardiac diagnosis and treatment. He was not only a master clinician but also a dedicated educator, mentoring young doctors and shaping the standards and ethos of his entire medical team.

Throughout his career, Zheng Daosheng maintained his passion for medicine and his care for patients. His professional journey stands as a significant witness to the history of Chinese medical development and a reflection of the flourishing of China’s healthcare sector during that era.

From the battlefields of the Korean War to the halls of Shanghai Renji Hospital, and on to the establishment and development of its Department of Cardiology, every step of Zheng Daosheng’s path was filled with challenges and opportunities. Against the backdrop of a transforming nation, he answered the call of his times with concrete actions, making extraordinary contributions to the cause of medicine in China.

 Rigorous Scholarship and Remarkable Achievements

Zheng Daosheng was not only a master clinician devoted to patient care but also a pioneer in scientific research. His success stemmed from years of rigorous study and intellectual honesty. As his mentor, Professor Huang Mingxin, noted, “Though Zheng Daosheng is a man of few words, his clinical foundation, steadfast approach, and achievements leave others far behind.” Zheng’s quiet, pragmatic, and meticulous approach set him apart and earned him the admiration of his peers.

Working in an era of limited funding and rudimentary equipment, he integrated theory with practice, driving the development of cardiovascular medicine in China. In 1958, he made a breakthrough by becoming the first in China to successfully record intracardiac electrograms and pioneered right heart catheterization and left ventriculography in Shanghai.

His most landmark achievement came in 1972. At a time when China’s pacemaker technology was in its infancy, he took on the formidable challenge of developing the nation’s first “demand pacemaker.” Driven by a profound sense of national duty and working under conditions of extreme scarcity, he and his team achieved this breakthrough in just four months of relentless effort. They rapidly moved the technology into clinical practice, saving lives and soon collaborating with a factory to mass-produce the device, filling a critical void in the nation’s medical capabilities.

This work was done during a period of intense political turmoil, and Zheng even faced scrutiny from political authorities suspicious of intellectuals. He was ultimately vindicated when investigations confirmed his dedication to treating patients from all walks of life. Following this success, pacemaker research in China expanded into a multi-institutional collaborative effort, with Zheng at its core, propelling the field into a new, organized stage of development.

Zheng’s innovative spirit continued throughout his career. He introduced Percutaneous Translational Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) to China in 1985 and led numerous key national research projects. He authored over 20 books and published more than 200 academic papers, earning prestigious national awards for his contributions. Even in his later years, he would proudly show visitors the original pacemaker prototype, a tangible testament to his journey of scientific discovery.

The Medical Master Who Taught How to Fish

The proverb “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” perfectly captures Zheng Daosheng’s educational philosophy. A man of few words in general, he became eloquent when teaching, drawing on a vast reservoir of knowledge to explain complex medical conditions with remarkable clarity. He integrated everything from murmurs and X-rays to hemodynamics, giving students a comprehensive understanding of medicine.

Zheng emphasized practical skills and clinical thinking, guiding students personally during their rotations. Despite his status as a top-tier expert who treated high-ranking officials, he was humble and approachable, treating every patient, colleague, and student with equal respect and dedication.

His mentorship was remarkably fruitful. He supervised over thirty graduate students, many of whom have become leading cardiologists and pillars of their institutions. He focused on cultivating their ability to think independently and innovate, a legacy reflected in their own distinguished careers.

Zheng Daosheng was both an extraordinary master and a humble man who never boasted of his achievements. He dedicated his life to the practical work of medicine and education, becoming a true role model. He passed away in 2015, but his immense contributions to cardiology and medical education, and his profound legacy of compassion and excellence, are forever engraved in the history of medicine.

Editor: Chen Qing @ ShanghaiDoctor.cn

Note: Chinese Sources from “The Path of Benevolent Medicine” which was published in 2024. It records 90 important medical figures in the history of Renji Hospital. Yewen Renyi (ShanghaiDoctor.cn) team was one of the major writers of the book and is authorized by Renji hospital to create English version on the website of ShanghaiDoctor.cn