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 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
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
1. The Compilation of the “Jin Kui Yao Lue” In the preface of the “Shang Han Lun” by Zhang Zhongjing, it states: “Drawing from numerous sources, compiling the nine volumes of the “Suwen”… to create the “Shang Han and Miscellaneous Diseases” in sixteen volumes.” Based on this, it is generally believed that the current “Shang … Read more
Understand Traditional Chinese Medicine better here, click the blue text to follow us “Jingui Yaolue” “Jingui Yaolue” is an important work by Zhang Zhongjing, a revered physician of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and is one of the most significant classical texts in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is well-known that “Jingui Yaolue” is an abbreviation … Read more
Reading the preface of Zhang Zhongjing’s “Treatise on Cold Damage” states: “Diligently seek ancient teachings, widely gather various methods… thus the Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases is compiled into sixteen volumes.” Originally, the “Treatise on Cold Damage” was called “Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases,” and “Treatise on Cold Damage” is merely … Read more
The version of the Huangdi Neijing we see today is primarily the one compiled by Li Bing during the Tang Dynasty. Prior to this, the historical transmission of the Huangdi Neijing underwent many changes. According to existing historical records, the Huangdi Neijing first appeared in the Book of Han (Eastern Han, Ban Gu, 32-92 AD). … Read more
Author: Bencao Toutiao Team (本草头条) Exploring Shudi Huang (熟地黄) Shudi Huang (熟地黄), the root tuber of the plants Rehmannia glutinosa or Rehmannia chingii from the family Scrophulariaceae, is processed through steaming and drying. It appears in irregular block shapes, with a pitch-black color both inside and out, and a wrinkled, uneven surface. The texture is … Read more
“Angelica does not return, the beautiful wife remarries” “Angelica does not return, to revive the state” “Qin Niang is gravely ill, Angelica, Angelica,” Angelica Sinensis (当归) has always carried a rich literary connotation throughout history. Angelica Sinensis, also known as Qin Gui, Yun Gui, Xiang Dong Gui, and Min Dong Gui, belongs to the Apiaceae … Read more
Huang Qi (Astragalus membranaceus), originally named Huang Qi, first appeared in the “Fifty-Two Disease Formulas”. The “Shen Nong’s Materia Medica” classifies Huang Qi as a superior herb, with Li Shizhen explaining its name: “Qi means long; Huang Qi is yellow in color, and as a long-lasting tonic, it is named accordingly.” Historical Stories One According … Read more