Bencao Gangmu: The Ancient Encyclopedia of China

Bencao Gangmu: The Ancient Encyclopedia of China

01 Bencao Gangmu (本草纲目) was completed in 1550 BC, consisting of fifty-two volumes. The author spent nearly thirty years compiling it, including 1,892 types of medicinal substances and over 1,000 illustrations of herbs, elaborating on the properties, therapeutic effects, usage rules, origins, forms, collection, processing, and compatibility of these substances, along with over 10,000 prescriptions. … Read more

Ginseng: The King of Herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ginseng: The King of Herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Click the above “Public Account” to subscribe! Source|China Traditional Chinese Medicine News Text|Zhao Zhongzhen, Institute of Compendium of Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Introduction: The Compendium of Materia Medica is a world-renowned herbal text. In 2011, it was included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register along with the Huangdi Neijing, making … Read more

A Discussion on the Scientific Methods of Epidemic Prevention in the “Compendium of Materia Medica” and the Publishing Challenges Faced by Li Shizhen

A Discussion on the Scientific Methods of Epidemic Prevention in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and the Publishing Challenges Faced by Li Shizhen

In the current battle against the COVID-19 pandemic in China, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has played a significant role. The TCM classic, the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), compiled over 500 years ago, documented many effective methods for disaster and epidemic prevention. In terms of air disinfection, burning substances such as Chen … Read more

Yan Peng and Hu Yunkai: Li Shizhen Completed the ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ in Pengxi County, Sichuan

Yan Peng and Hu Yunkai: Li Shizhen Completed the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' in Pengxi County, Sichuan

The Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica) is the most significant achievement of the renowned Ming dynasty physician and pharmacologist Li Shizhen. It is a monumental work that encapsulates his lifelong learning and is a comprehensive compilation of earlier materia medica texts. Its influence has lasted for over 400 years, holding an important … Read more

The Story of Famous Physicians: The Origin of the Compendium of Materia Medica (Part Two)

The Story of Famous Physicians: The Origin of the Compendium of Materia Medica (Part Two)

The Story of Famous Physicians The medicinal substances recorded in the medical book “Bencao” (本草) were originally passed down from Shennong, totaling only three hundred sixty-five types. During the Liang Dynasty, Tao Hongjing added three hundred sixty-five more, bringing the total to seven hundred thirty types. In the Tang Dynasty, Su Gong added one hundred … Read more

The Wonders of Mugwort Explained in the Compendium of Materia Medica

The Wonders of Mugwort Explained in the Compendium of Materia Medica

Li Shizhen in the Compendium of Materia Medica states: “Mugwort leaves draw on the true fire of the sun, which can restore the original Yang. Taking it will dispel the three Yin and eliminate all cold and dampness, transforming the killing energy into harmony. Moxibustion with it penetrates the meridians and treats hundreds of diseases, … Read more

Identifying Chinese Medicinal Herbs Through Images: Exploring the ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ (Part 3)

Identifying Chinese Medicinal Herbs Through Images: Exploring the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' (Part 3)

Compendium of Materia Medica 本 草 纲 目 The Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) was written by the Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen. It is a monumental work that synthesizes and summarizes previous achievements in materia medica, compiled over decades of practice and research. The book contains over 1.9 million words, divided into 16 … Read more

The Classic Masterpiece | The Great Medical Text of the East: Compendium of Materia Medica

The Classic Masterpiece | The Great Medical Text of the East: Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu), a classic materia medica work, consists of 52 volumes. It was authored by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty, from the 31st year of the Jiajing era (1552) to the 6th year of the Wanli era (1578), with the manuscript undergoing three revisions. This book is organized in … Read more

Weekend Digest | The Timeless Materia Medica

Weekend Digest | The Timeless Materia Medica

Click the blue text Follow us The term “Materia Medica” first appeared in the Book of Han by Ban Gu during the Eastern Han Dynasty, stating: “… all dismissed, the diviners, envoys, assistants, and over seventy Materia Medica officials all returned home.” Here, the term “Materia Medica” refers to medicines and prescriptions, hence later generations … Read more

The Contributions of the Compendium of Materia Medica to Zhang Zhongjing’s Theories

The Contributions of the Compendium of Materia Medica to Zhang Zhongjing's Theories

Li Shizhen was a great medical scientist of the Ming Dynasty in China. His greatest contribution was his extensive research and compilation, which took thirty years and involved studying over eight hundred medical texts, resulting in the creation of the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica). Although this book is primarily a pharmacological … Read more