The Compendium of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica

Call Number: R281.3/48 Author Biography Li Shizhen (1518–1593), styled Dongbi, later self-named Binhushanren, was a great medical scientist of ancient China from Qizhou (now Qichun County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province) during the Ming Dynasty. He authored the renowned pharmacological work, Ben Cao Gang Mu (The Compendium of Materia Medica). Li Shizhen also studied pulse diagnosis … Read more

The Historical Challenges Faced by the Compendium of Materia Medica: What is the Truth?

The Historical Challenges Faced by the Compendium of Materia Medica: What is the Truth?

Click on the “blue word” to follow us! In the current battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has played an important role. As the sacred text of TCM, the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), compiled over 500 years ago, recorded many effective methods for disaster prevention and epidemic control. … 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 Truth Behind the Criticism of the Compendium of Materia Medica

The Truth Behind the Criticism of the Compendium of Materia Medica

In the Ming Dynasty, the physician Li Shizhen spent nearly thirty years compiling the classic TCM text, the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), which has been published for over 400 years and has received high acclaim from renowned scholars both domestically and internationally. However, it has recently faced criticism online due to … 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

The Publication and Impact of the Jinling Edition of the Compendium of Materia Medica

The Publication and Impact of the Jinling Edition of the Compendium of Materia Medica

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

Introduction to Different Versions of the Compendium of Materia Medica

Introduction to Different Versions of the Compendium of Materia Medica

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

Zhao Zhongzhen: Li Shizhen and the Compendium of Materia Medica

Zhao Zhongzhen: Li Shizhen and the Compendium of Materia Medica

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