Pharmacopoeia　Plain Language Explanation　Second Edition

Author: Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of TCM
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-03
Features: Pharmacopoeia in Rhyme, the original book does not specify the author, and it is estimated to be a work from the Jin and Yuan dynasties. It was originally an introductory book for beginners in learning TCM herbs. The book categorizes 248 commonly used herbs into four types based on their properties: cold, hot, warm, and neutral, written in rhyming prose. The language is concise and profound, easy to recite and memorize. Especially, its summary of herb properties is insightful. Once it is memorized, it is beneficial for a lifetime and has been favored by readers across generations, remaining popular to this day. Due to the original book's use of rhyming prose, the wording is overly simplistic, making it difficult to grasp deeply. In the 1960s, we compiled and published Pharmacopoeia in Rhyme: Simplified Interpretation. This book was immediately well-received by readers and has been reprinted 22 times, ranking among bestsellers for many years. With the development of TCM, the first edition no longer meets the needs of modern readers. Therefore, the Department of TCM at Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine revised this book for a second edition, making its content richer and more practical. In addition to the "Simplified Interpretation," it includes modern dosages and usage, compatibility applications, formulas, precautions, and annotations. These annotations elaborate on differences in usage based on different sources of herbs, processing methods, pharmacological subtleties, and functional comparisons. By thoroughly studying this book, readers can lay a solid foundation in understanding herb properties and benefit from it throughout their lives.