Pharmacological Song Summary of Four Hundred Medicinal Herbs: Plain Language Explanation - Fifth Edition

Author: Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of TCM
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-03-01
Features: Yao Xing Ge Kuo Si Bai Wei (A Concise Rhyming Guide to 400 Medicinal Herbs) was written by the Ming Dynasty physician Gong Tingxian. This book introduces the properties, flavors, functions, and main indications of 400 commonly used medicinal herbs in four-character rhyming verse. The content is concise and easy to remember, with a pleasant rhythm that aids memorization. However, due to the limitations of four-character rhyming verse, the language is somewhat simplistic, making it difficult to grasp deeper insights. To facilitate learning, our publishing house released Yao Xing Ge Kuo Si Bai Wei Baihua Jie (A Colloquial Explanation of Yao Xing Ge Kuo Si Bai Wei) in the 1960s. This book was widely acclaimed by readers and has been revised four times, printed 25 times, and has a circulation of nearly 4 million copies, remaining consistently popular. To better meet the needs of modern readers, the original compilers from Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine revised the book for its fifth edition. This revision faithfully preserves the original rhyming text while providing a more in-depth and accessible colloquial explanation. It further enriches the discussion of medicinal properties and functions, adds new information on common compatibility methods, supplementary formulas, and modern pharmacological research. Some entries also include annotations to clarify unaddressed points. Additionally, errors from previous editions have been corrected, and the term "Chinese herbal medicine" added in earlier revisions has been removed. This book not only retains its memorable and easy-to-learn features but also allows readers to gain a comprehensive and systematic understanding of 400 commonly used medicinal herbs with a single volume, making it even more convenient to study, master, and apply.