Shennong's Herbal, Collected and Interpreted

Author: Chen Zangqi (Tang Dynasty) compiled and annotated by Shang Zhijun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Bencao Shiyi (A Supplement to the Materia Medica) is a renowned work summarizing Tang Dynasty pharmacology, authored by Chen Zangqi. When the Tang Bencao (Tang Dynasty Materia Medica) was compiled, only 114 new medicinal substances were added, whereas this book contains six times more new drugs than the Tang Bencao. The book is extensive in scope and rich in content. The Ming Dynasty scholar Li Shizhen once praised it by saying, "Chen Zangqi's writings are vast in their research, meticulous in their examination of substances, and thorough in correcting errors. He has gathered the hidden and obscure, and since the Bencao Shiyi, no one has come close to his achievements." The book was compiled in 739 but the original manuscript is long lost. This edition has been reconstructed by Professor Shang Zhijun of China's herbology literature experts, based on the materials collected from works such as Zhenglei Bencao (Proofread Materia Medica) and Yixin Fang (Medical Heart Method). Professor Shang categorized and arranged the content to restore the book's original form. Each entry for medicinal substances is clearly marked with its source, discrepancies in the texts of various compilers are collated, and obscure geographical and material names in ancient herbology are annotated for easier understanding. The Annotations and Collations have largely restored the original appearance of this Tang Dynasty pharmacological masterpiece, filling the gap left by the lost manuscript. During the collation process, errors in the transmission and copying of texts from other works were examined and corrected, making this edition highly valuable for research on the history of drug development and herbology literature.