Miniature Illustrated Guide to Medicinal Herbs

Author: Zhao Xiuzhen, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-12-01
Features: In 1996, it was selected as the 9th batch of National Excellent Bestselling Books in China, and in 1998, it was chosen as the 11th batch. China has abundant rural herbal resources, and there has been a long-standing tradition of gathering herbs locally for treating diseases among the people. To facilitate the identification, collection, and use of herbs for the general public and medical personnel, we have compiled this "Color Atlas of Medicinal Herbs" based on years of in-depth rural collection of folk medicinal experiences and our clinical practices, while also referring to relevant books. The species included in this book cover both northern and southern regions, and each herb is accompanied by a color image of its plant form for easy reference. The text section focuses primarily on functions and empirical formulas, including the following items:
1. Official Name: Primarily based on "Illustrated Handbook of Higher Plants of China," using the scientific name of the original plant as the primary name, followed by the Latin name.
2. Common Names: Generally selected from the widely used names in various regions of China, with reference to "Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine."
3. Morphology: Briefly describes the morphological characteristics with color images to aid in identification.
4. Collection: Briefly outlines the growth environment, distribution, and the harvest season and processing methods for each medicinal part.
5. Functions: Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and folk medicinal experiences, it summarizes the properties, efficacy, main uses, dosage, and usage of herbs, with a focus on clinical applications. For herbs with a single medicinal part consistent with the "Collection" section, dosage and usage are not repeated when mentioned; if all parts of the herb have similar functions, they are not separately listed.
6. Formulas: Includes clinically effective prescriptions. This section lists special usages not fully explained in the "Functions" section or empirical formulas of two or more herbs, while single-herb applications are generally described in the "Functions" section. At the end of the book, there are an "Index of Medicinal Plant Names" and a "Symptom Index," with the former including the official and common names of each herb, and the latter allows selecting herbs based on symptoms for easy retrieval.