The Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu), a pharmacological work, consists of fifty-two volumes, authored by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty, published in 1590. The entire book contains over 1.9 million words, documenting 1,892 types of medicinal substances, compiling 11,096 medical prescriptions, and featuring 1,160 exquisite illustrations, categorized into 16 sections and 60 categories. This monumental work was compiled over several decades, based on the author’s extensive learning and interviews, integrating a vast amount of pharmacological knowledge, correcting numerous errors in previous materia medica, synthesizing a wealth of scientific data, proposing a more scientific classification method for medicines, incorporating advanced biological evolutionary ideas, and reflecting rich clinical practice. It is also a work of natural history with a global impact.

[Preface]

Three Categories of Medicinal Properties – The Monarch, Minister, Assistant, and Envoy Theory

What are the Seven Formulas and Ten Medicinal Combinations? It is essential to understand!

Five Organs and Five Flavors: Supplementation and Purging

Appropriate and Inappropriate Flavors

Seasonal Medication Guidelines

Qi and Flavor Yin-Yang

Five Movements and Six Excesses Medication Patterns

Herb Section

A

**Ai Ye** (Artemisia argyi)

B

**Ban Xia** (Pinellia ternata) **Bai Zhi** (Angelica dahurica) **Bai Jiang Cao** (Patrinia scabiosaefolia)

**Bo He** (Mentha haplocalyx) **Bai Shao** (Paeonia lactiflora) **Bai Tou Weng** (Pulsatilla chinensis)

**Bin Lang** (Areca catechu) **Bai Ji** (Bletilla striata) **Bei Sha Shen** (Glehnia littoralis)

**Bai Bu** (Stemona sessilifolia) **Bai He** (Lilium brownii)

**Bie Jia** (Trionyx sinensis) **Bai Zhu** (Atractylodes macrocephala)

C

**Chai Hu** (Bupleurum chinense) **Chi Shao** (Paeonia veitchii) **Chuan Xin Lian** (Andrographis paniculata)

**Cang Zhu** (Atractylodes lancea) **Chen Pi** (Citrus reticulata) **Che Qian Zi** (Plantago asiatica)

**Chuan Xiong** (Ligusticum chuanxiong) **Chuan Lian Zi** (Melia toosendan)

**Chuan Bei Mu** (Fritillaria cirrhosa)

D

**Ding Xiang** (Syzygium aromaticum) **Ding Gong Teng** (Clematis chinensis)

**Dan Shen** (Salvia miltiorrhiza) **Dang Shen** (Codonopsis pilosula) **Da Qing Ye** (Isatis tinctoria)

**Dang Gui** (Angelica sinensis) **Du Huo** (Angelica pubescens)

**Da Huang** (Rheum palmatum) **Du Zhong** (Eucommia ulmoides) **Sheng Di Huang** (Rehmannia glutinosa)

**Dan Shen** (Salvia miltiorrhiza)

E

**E Zhu** (Curcuma zedoaria)

F

**Fang Feng** (Saposhnikovia divaricata) **Fu Zi** (Aconitum carmichaelii)

**Fu Ling** (Poria cocos) **Fu Long Gan** (Zao Xin Tu)

G

**Gan Cao** (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) **Gua Lou** (Trichosanthes kirilowii) **Gan Huang Cao** (Euphorbia humifusa)

**Gui Zhi** (Cinnamomum cassia) **Ge Gen** (Pueraria lobata) **Gan Jiang** (Zingiber officinale)

**Gou Teng** (Uncaria rhynchophylla) **Gui Jia** (Testudo graeca) **Guang Huo Xiang** (Agastache rugosa)

H

**Huang Qi** (Astragalus membranaceus) **Huang Cen** (Scutellaria baicalensis) **Huang Lian** (Coptis chinensis)

**Huang Bai** (Phellodendron amurense) **Hou Po** (Magnolia officinalis)

**Hong Hua** (Carthamus tinctorius)

J

**Jie Geng** (Platycodon grandiflorum) **Jin Yin Hua** (Lonicera japonica) **Jin Lian Hua** (Nymphaea tetragona)

**Jing Jie** (Schizonepeta tenuifolia) **Ju Hua** (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

**Jiang Huang** (Curcuma longa)

K

**Ku Shen** (Sophora flavescens) **Ku Xing Ren** (Prunus armeniaca)

L

**Ling Zhi** (Ganoderma lucidum) **Mai Dong** (Ophiopogon japonicus) **Lian Qiao** (Forsythia suspensa)

**Long Dan** (Gentiana scabra) **Liu Ji Nu** (Lysimachia christinae)

M

**Mai Dong** (Ophiopogon japonicus)

**Ma Huang** (Ephedra sinica) **Mu Dan Pi** (Paeonia suffruticosa)

**Mu Guo** (Carica papaya) **Mu Tong** (Akebia quinata**)

**Mu Xiang** (Aucklandia lappa)

N

**Niu Xi** (Achyranthes bidentata)

P

**Pu Gong Ying** (Taraxacum mongolicum)

Q

**Ji Ni** (Lactuca sativa) **Qiang Huo** (Notopterygium incisum)

**Qing Hao** (Artemisia annua) **Qin Jiao** (Gentiana macrophylla)

R

**Ren Shen** (Panax ginseng) **Rou Gui** (Cinnamomum cassia) **Ru Xiang** (Boswellia carterii)

S

**San Qi** (Panax notoginseng) **San Suo**

**Sheng Jiang** (Zingiber officinale) **Sang Ye** (Morus alba) **Suan Zao Ren** (Ziziphus jujuba)

**Sha Shen** (Glehnia littoralis) **Sheng Ma** (Cimicifuga foetida) **Sha Yuan Zi** (Astragalus membranaceus)

**Sha Ren** (Amomum villosum) **Sheng Di Huang** (Rehmannia glutinosa) **Sang Ji Sheng** (Taxillus chinensis)

**Shan Zha** (Crataegus pinnatifida) **Shen Qu** (Massa Fermentata) **Shu Di Huang** (Rehmannia glutinosa)

**Shan Yao** (Dioscorea opposita)

T

**Tian Ma** (Gastrodia elata) **Tian Dong** (Asparagus cochinchinensis) **Tian Hua Fen** (Trichosanthes kirilowii)

**Tao Ren** (Prunus persica) **Tian Nan Xing** (Arisaema heterophyllum)

W

**Wei Ling Xian** (Clematis chinensis) **Wang Bu Liu Xing** (Vaccaria segetalis)

**Wu Zhu Yu** (Evodia rutaecarpa)

X

**Xuan Shen** (Scrophularia ningpoensis) **Xiang Fu** (Cyperus rotundus) **Xiao Ji** (Cirsium setosum)

**Xi Xin** (Asarum sieboldii) **Xuan Fu Hua** (Inula helenium)

Y

**Yin Chen** (Artemisia capillaris) **You Song Jie** (Pinus massoniana)

**Yu Jin** (Curcuma longa) **Yu Xuan Cao** (Houttuynia cordata) **Yan Hu Suo** (Corydalis yanhusuo)

**Yuan Zhi** (Polygala tenuifolia) **Yi Mu Cao** (Leonurus japonicus)

Z

**Ze Xie** (Alisma orientale) **Zi Shen** (Rehmannia glutinosa)

**Zi Su** (Perilla frutescens) **Zi Su Ye** (Perilla frutescens) **Zi Su Zi** (Perilla frutescens)

**Zhi Mu** (Anemarrhena asphodeloides) **Zhi Zi** (Gardenia jasminoides) **Zhi Shi** (Citrus aurantium)

**Zao Xin Tu** (Fu Long Gan)

**Zhe Bei Mu** (Fritillaria thunbergii)

Vegetable Section

**Gan Jiang** (Zingiber officinale) **Sheng Jiang** (Zingiber officinale) **Cong** (Allium fistulosum)

**Pu Gong Ying** (Taraxacum mongolicum) **Suan** (Allium sativum) **Jiu** (Allium tuberosum)

Fruit Section

**Lian Ou** (Nelumbo nucifera) **Fo Shou** (Citrus medica) **Yin Xing** (Ginkgo biloba)

The Compendium of Materia Medica Unique Medicinal Formulas of the Water Section

The Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica Unique Medicinal Formulas of the Fire Section

The Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica Unique Medicinal Formulas of the Earth Section

The Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica Unique Medicinal Formulas of the Metal Section

The Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica Unique Medicinal Formulas of the Stone Section

**Shi Gao** (Gypsum) **Mang Xiao** (Sodium sulfate) **Hua Shi** (Talc)

**Zhu Sha** (Cinnabar) **Bing Pian** (Borneol) **Dai Zhe Shi** (Hematite)

The Compendium of Materia Medica

Grain Section

Wood Section

Insect Section

**Feng Mi** (Honey) **Mi La** (Beeswax) **Mi Feng** (Bee)

Scale Section

Shell Section

**Mu Li** (Oyster)

Bird and Beast Sections

**Lu Rong** (Cervus nippon) **A Jiao** (Colla corii asini) **Ling Yang Jiao** (Antelope horn)

**Long Gu** (Os Draconis) **She Xiang** (Moschus) **Niu Huang** (Bovis Calculus)

The Compendium of Materia Medica Unique Medicinal Formulas of the Human SectionThe Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica

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