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
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
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
The great pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen, after “thirty years of experience and studying over eight hundred families, with three revisions of the manuscript,” finally compiled the unprecedented and practically needed monumental work of materia medica, the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica). However, the publication and printing of this work … Read more
A historical coincidence or mistake often leaves behind irreparable errors, untraceable truths, or perplexing enigmas for future generations… To practice medicine or to be an official? That is the question. Those familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or Chinese history should know about the book “Bencao Gangmu” and its author, Li Shizhen. The lost herb … Read more
In the century of China, there are two major works on natural pharmacology: the Ben Cao Pin Hui Jing Yao (《本草品汇精要》) from 1505 and the Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》) from 1595, both of which are remarkable. — Joseph Needham The Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》) was authored by the renowned pharmacologist, physician, and naturalist … Read more
The Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) is a monumental work in traditional Chinese pharmacology. It is a comprehensive compilation with a total of 52 volumes and nearly 1.9 million words documenting 1,892 medicinal substances and is hailed as the “Encyclopedia of Ancient China”. The original manuscript of the Compendium of Materia Medica is currently … Read more
Issue No. 1784 In May 2011, the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) from the Yuan Gu Lin Shu Tang edition and the Ming Dynasty edition of the Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) by Hu Chenglong, housed in the library of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, were selected for the UNESCO Memory … Read more
Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica) is a monumental work in the history of Chinese herbal medicine, preserving a vast amount of lost herbal literature and serving as an important reference for future studies in TCM literature. It also improved traditional drug classification methods, making significant contributions to the advancement of natural sciences … Read more
The Compendium of Materia Medica – Inner Pages Selection Date: 2011 Country of Application: China Storage Location: Library of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences The Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) is an encyclopedic classic of Chinese herbal medicine, completed by the renowned Ming dynasty physician Li Shizhen after 27 years of work. … Read more