Materia Medica Essentials

Author: Qīng · Wāng áng compiled
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-08-01
Features: This book was compiled by Qīng · Wāng áng in 1683 and revised in 1694. The title "Běncǎo Bèiyào" means that the pharmacological content it records is both comprehensive and concise. The book is organized based on Wāng áng's revised original. The entire book selects 479 commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs, divided into 8 sections (Grasses, Trees, Fruits, Grains and Vegetables, Metals, Stones, Earth, Birds and Animals, Fish, Reptiles, Insects, and Humans). The content of each herb is brief and practical, with bold text highlighting the characteristics and therapeutic scope of the herb, while small text provides concise explanations of the herb's efficacy mechanism, the characteristics of the diseases it treats, clinical medication techniques and methods, and comparisons with similar herbs. The book intersperses medical cases and anecdotes related to the efficacy of the herbs, making it engaging and easy to remember. After each herb, there is a brief description of its origin, identification, processing, and other relevant information. Since its first publication, the book has been widely welcomed by medical practitioners and has been reprinted over 200 times, making it the most frequently reprinted ancient Chinese pharmacopoeia. Its influence has been enduring, and it remains the best introductory book for learning Chinese medicine and a practical reference for clinical medication.