New Edition of Materia Medica

Author: (Qing) Chen Shiduo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-07-01
Features: Bencao Xinbian (also known as Bencao Miliu), written by the Qing Dynasty medical master Chen Shiduo. The book is divided into five volumes. At the beginning of each volume, there are sixteen prefaces, six exhortations to physicians, the Seven Formulas Theory, the Ten Decoctions Theory, a rebuttal to Tao Yinju's Ten Decoctions theory (adding the theory of cold and heat decoctions), and a rebuttal to Miao Zhongchun's Ten Decoctions theory (adding the theory of ascending and descending decoctions). These sections explain the purpose of the book's compilation, the principles for selecting medicinal substances, and the significance of the Seven Formulas and Ten Decoctions.
Volumes one to five are organized by the names of medicinal substances, listing a total of 277 herbs. For each herb, the book first describes its therapeutic effects, followed by additional discussions. Its explanations of the properties, flavors, meridian tropism, efficacy, and main indications of medicinal substances are both concise and detailed, offering unique insights that were previously unexplored. Its discussions on the selection and compatibility of medicinal flavors, as well as the precautions, are particularly relevant to clinical practice and hold high practical value.
This edition is based on the Kangxi-era printing and the Qing Dynasty manuscript Jia Version, with collation and annotations using He Gaomin's corrected version, the Qing Dynasty manuscript Yi Version, and the Qing Dynasty manuscript Bing Ding Version. It serves as a valuable reference for researchers, clinicians, practitioners of integrated Chinese and Western medicine, and enthusiasts of traditional Chinese medicine.