Compendium Of Materia Medica

The Compendium of Materia Medica, also known by the romanizations Bencao Gangmu or Pen-tsao Kang-mu, is a Chinese materia medica work written by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty. It is a work epitomizing the materia medica known at the time. The Compendium of Materia Medica is regarded as the most complete and comprehensive medical book ever written in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. It lists all the plants, animals, minerals, and other items that were believed to have medicinal properties.

The book of 本草纲目 Ben Cao Gang Mu, translated as " Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica” was completed by Li Shizhen in 1578, after conducting readings of 800 other medical reference books and carrying out 30 years of field study. For this and many other achievements, Li Shizhen is compared to Shennong, a god in Chinese mythology who gave instruction on agriculture and herbal medicine. The Compendium of Materia Medica has 53 volumes in total. The text is written classified into 16 divisions and 60 orders. For every herb there are entries on their names, a detailed description of their appearance and odor, nature, medical function, effects and side recipes etc. With the publication of Compendium of Materia Medica, not only did it improve the classification of how traditional medicine was compiled and formatted, but it was also an important medium in improving the credibility and scientific values of biology classification of both plants and animals. Compendium of Materia Medica is also more than a mere pharmaceutical text, for it includes a vast amount of information on topics as wide-ranging as biology, chemistry, geography, mineralogy, geology, history, and even mining and astronomy, which might appear to have little connection with herbal medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) contains an extensive knowledge that the Chinese nation has accumulated through practical experimentation and theoretical research in treating diseases and promoting health over a period of thousands of years. Throughout the history, many TCM theorists, experts, and pharmacists have contributed valuable works. The most representative of them was Li Shizhen with his Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), which was praised by Charles Darwin as an 'encyclopaedia' of ancient China and was selected into Memory of the World Register by UNESCO in 2011.This book is divided into two parts: the introduction and the selected reading of the original work of Ben Cao Gang Mu. In the introductory part, the life story, academic characteristics and main contributions of Li Shizhen are illustrated, and suggested learning methods of the book are recommended. In the selected reading part, five aspects are mainly discussed: original preface and memorial to the throne, essence of Li Shizhen's medical theories, treatment of various diseases, Li Shizhen's medical records and medical notes, and health preservation. Apart from the selected reading from Ben Cao Gang Mu, theoretical exposition and modern application are supplemented in each chapter so as to improve readers' theoretical knowledge and ability of practical problem-solving.

Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas: New Century Traditional Chinese Medicine presents specific knowledge about the source, medicinal nature, action and application of more than 800 commonly-used Chinese materia medica, as well as the efficacy and application of more than 740 kinds of commonly-used Chinese medical formulas. Notably, all of the content is presented in table form, making the information easier to access, understand and apply. Each primary herbal medicine is introduced with color pictures, and each primary formula is presented with efficacy analysis pictures. The book provides readers with essential information on Chinese materia medica and formulas and how to use them accurately, including the most common Chinese materia medica used in clinics and in commonly used clinical formulas. This is an essential reference for traditional medical professionals and those interested in traditional Chinese medicine, including advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students. Includes over 800 Chinese materia medica and 740 medical formulas with their essential information Combines 514 color pictures of medicine material crude slices and 255 formulary efficacy analysis pictures Organized with concise forms, facilitating understanding and memorization

This book aims to provide readers with adequate knowledge for clinical application of Chinese medicine, which is in line with the fundamental principle of “correspondence of Chinese medicinals and patterns.” It contains a brief introduction to relative theories, divides these medicinals by actions into categories such as exterior-releasing, heat-clearing, purgative, dampness-dispelling, fluid retention-disinhibiting, interior-warming, qi-regulating, blood-invigorating, blood-stanching, food accumulation-relieving, phlegm, cough- and wheezing-arresting, mind-tranquilizing, liver-calming, orifices-opening, tonifying, astringing, and worm-dispelling, and elaborates each herb in terms of its actions, quality, indications, usage, and dosage. Furthermore, mnemonics and simple and effective formulas are included to help readers effectively grasp the concepts behind practical applications, and precautions and daily practices are specifically designed to support readers in easily understanding and retaining the information.

Phytotherapy or herbal medicine is the most important therapy within Chinese medicine and is being used increasingly in the West. A Materia Medica for Chinese Medicine: plants, minerals and animal products describes 400 of the most important plants, minerals and animal substances used as treatments by Chinese medical practitioners. The items included have been selected according to their degree of clinical relevance. Each remedy is clearly described and illustrated on two facing pages, making this an easily accessible reference for both students and practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine. The clearly laid out text presents the following details for each herb or substance included: a detailed description of the characteristic features indictions for safe use medicinal and toxic effects possible combinations with other substances full-colour illustrations, generally two for each substance, showing the detailed characterisitcs of the item described A Materia Medica for Chinese Medicine has been written by two medically trained doctors who have worked as TCM therapists specializing in the use of Chinese herbs for more than 30 years. Based on their many years of teaching and practice, the book has been carefully compiled and designed to provide a concise and accurate practice-based reference for both students and practitioners.