The Materia Medica Web Catalogis Li Shizhen Li Shizhen, word Dongbi, No. Bordering Lake, Hubei Herb (present-day Herb County, Hubei Province), born in the thirteenth year of Zhengde of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1518), died in the twenty-first year of the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Shenzong Dynasty (A.D. 1593). His family had been practicing medicine for many generations, and his grandfather was a "bell doctor". His father's name was Wen, Yuechi, and he was a famous doctor in the area. At that time, the status of private doctors was very low. The Li family was often bullied by officials and gentry. Therefore, his father decided to let his second son, Li Shizhen, study for the examination, so that he could be successful and make a name for himself. Li Shizhen since childhood frail and sick, but the character of straight and innocent, to those empty and boring eight-legged text, how can not learn. Since the age of fourteen after nine years, three times to the Wuchang examination, all failed. So, he gave up his intention to become an official, and concentrated on studying medicine, so he begged his father, saying: "I am 23 years old this year, always failing to pass the examination, you'd better let me study medicine! He also expressed his determination: "My body is like a boat against the current, and my heart is stronger than iron. I hope that my father will fulfill my ambition, and that I will not be afraid of difficulties until I die". Li Yuechi finally came to his senses in front of the cold truth, agreed to his son's request, and taught him carefully. Within a few years, Li Shizhen became a very famous doctor. At the age of thirty-eight, Li Shizhen was summoned by the King of Chu in Wuchang to be the "Ancestor of the Royal Household", and was also in charge of the affairs of the Institute of Good Medicine. Three years later, he was recommended to go to Beijing to be the director of the Imperial Hospital. At that time, the Imperial Hospital was a medical institution for the court, which was made a mess by some quacks. After serving for only one year, Li resigned and returned to his hometown. In these ten years, Li Shizhen read a lot of ancient medical books, and through clinical practice found that the ancient books of materia medica, "the number of items is both annoying, the name of a lot of mixed. Or a thing analyzed into two or three, or two things mixed into a product" ("Ming Wai Shi Ben Chuan"). In particular, many toxic medicines were considered to be able to "prolong life by taking them for a long time", thus causing endless trouble. Thus, he was determined to re-compile a book of materia medica. At the age of thirty-one, he began to think about it and read a lot of reference books in order to "search and collect". When he finished reading the books in his family's collection, he took the opportunity of practicing medicine to borrow from the big families in his hometown. Later, into the Wuchang Chu Wang Fu and the Beijing Imperial Hospital, read more books, simply become a "bibliophile". He described himself as "a long time addicted to books, like eating sugar cane and syrup" (the original preface to the Compendium of Materia Medica). In his biography of Li Shizhen, Gu Jingxing also praised him for "studying for ten years without leaving his house, and practicing everything he could. Indeed, he not only read more than 800 medical books and tens of thousands of volumes, but also many historical, geographical, and literary masterpieces, including the great works of history and history from Dunhuang, and the complete works of several great ancient poets. He also extracted a large number of verses on medicine. These verses gave him a lot of real and useful knowledge of medicine, and helped him to correct many fallacies in medicine of his predecessors. For example, in ancient medical books, "rasps and eiders" often appear. What do they refer to? Is there a difference? Pharmacists through the ages have had many different opinions and debates. Li Shizhen quoted Qu Yuan "Li Sao" in the "will compete with the chicken and rasps for food," "will be flooded as if the water of the mallard," two lines, pointing out that the poet to "rasps" and "mallard" to lift the name of the same, is that they are not the same kind of bird of the clear evidence. According to the poem's depiction of their different living environments, he proved that "rushes" are domestic ducks and "eiders" are wild ducks with different medicinal properties. Qu Yuan's poems and fugitives became the basis for Li Shizhen's eloquent examination of the names of medicines. In the process of writing the Compendium of Materia Medica, the most headache for Li Shizhen is due to the mixed names of drugs, often confused about the shape of the drug growth. The past book of materia medica, although repeated explanations, but because some authors do not have in-depth practical research, but in the books copied in the "paper guessing", so the more explained the more confusing, and contradictions multiply, so that people do not know what to say. For example, the drug Yuanzhi, the famous North and South Dynasty medicine Tao Hongjing said it is a small grass, like ephedra, but the color green, white flowers, the Song Dynasty, Ma Zhi, but it is like a big green, and blamed Tao Hongjing simply do not know Yuanzhi. Another example is the dog's spine a medicine, some say it is like the castor seed, some say it is like the pulling of the□, some say it is like the Guanzhong, the statement is very inconsistent. Similar to this situation, Li Shizhen had to shelve the pen again and again. How to solve these problems? Inspired by his father, Li Shizhen realized that "reading ten thousand volumes of books" is certainly necessary, but "walking ten thousand miles" is even more indispensable. Therefore, he not only "searched the hundred", but also "interviewed the four directions", in-depth practical investigation. Li Shizhen put on straw shoes, back up the medicine basket, in the apprentice Pang Xian, son of Jianyuan accompanied, far away from the mountains and wilderness, visited famous doctors and Confucian, searching for folk remedies, observation and collection of drug specimens. He first interviewed in his hometown of Herb State. Later, he traveled many times. In addition to Hunan and Guangdong, but also to Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, many places. Tahe Mountain in Junzhou also visited. Jiangxi Lushan, which is rich in medicinal herbs, and Nanjing's Regent Hill, Maoshan Hill, Niushou Hill, it is estimated that there are also his footprints. The descendants of this wrote "far from the poor and secluded yields, the risk of exploring the foot of the Hua" poem, reflecting his long-distance trekking, four-way interview life. Whenever Li Shizhen traveled to a place, he humbly asked for advice from all kinds of characters. Among them, there were those who picked medicines, those who farmed, those who fished, those who chopped wood, and those who hunted. Enthusiastically, they helped him learn about a wide variety of medicines. For example, rue moss is a common medicine for curing diseases. But what exactly does it look like? The Divine Husbandman's Classic of the Materia Medica did not understand it, nor did the commentaries. Li Shizhen asked an old man who grows vegetables, under his guidance, and then inspected the object, only to know that rue moss, in fact, is rape. This plant, the first year of planting, the second year of flowering, the seeds can be squeezed oil, so this drug, it will be in his "Compendium of Materia Medica" in a clear note out. In the interview around, or in his own medicine garden, Li Shizhen are very careful to observe the form and growth of drugs. Herb Snake, the white-flowered snake produced in Herb State. This medicine has the function of curing wind paralysis, convulsion, ringworm and mange. Li Shizhen had long studied it. But at first, he only observed it from snake vendors. Insiders reminded him that it was caught from the mountains of Xingguozhou in the south of the Yangtze River and was not a real herp snake. So what does a real herp snake look like? He asked a snake hunter for advice. The man told him that the tip of the snake's fangs was highly poisonous. When a person is bitten, he has to amputate his limbs immediately, otherwise he will die of poisoning. It had special effects in treating the above mentioned diseases and was very valuable because of that. The state officials forced the masses to risk their lives to catch them so that they could pay tribute to the emperor. Herb is so big, in fact, only on Longfeng Mountain in the north of the city there is a real herp snake. Li Shizhen pursued his quest to observe the herps with his own eyes, so he asked the snake catcher to take him up to Longfeng Mountain. There was a mythical beast cave, around the cave jagged rocks and bushes. There were many ivy vines entwined in the shrubs. Herb snakes like to eat the flowers and leaves of rattan, so they live in this area. Li Shizhen ignored the danger and searched everywhere. With the help of snake catchers, he finally saw the snake with his own eyes, and saw the whole process of snake catching and snake making. As a result of this in-depth practical investigation, later in the Compendium of Materia Medica, when he wrote about the white-flowered snake, he was able to say concisely and accurately. Said the form of the snake is: "the dragon head tiger mouth, black white flowers, coercion has twenty-four Fang Sheng Wen, abdomen has the rosary spot, the mouth has four long teeth, the tail has a Buddha's nails, one or two minutes long, intestinal shape such as the beads"; said that the snake's capture and the process of production is: "more than in the Shinan vine to eat its flowers and leaves, the people find this. When a handful of sand and soil is sprinkled first, the snake is coiled and does not move, and then a fork is used to take it. Suspended by a rope, the knife breaks the abdomen to remove the intestinal material, and then the reverse tail washes its abdomen to protect the trauma, and then it is supported by a bamboo, flexed and coiled up, and tied to a dry bed. At the same time, it also clarifies the difference between the herps and the white-flowered snakes of other places: "The one that comes out of the herps, though dry and withered, does not have a sunken vision, while the one that comes out of other places does not. This clear description of the various conditions of the snake is of course due to the meticulous field investigation. Li Shizhen understand the drug, and not satisfied with the horse to see the flowers type of investigation, but one by one to pick the sight, compared with the physical check. This cleared up a lot of plausible, ambiguous drugs. In his words, it is "one by one to pick and see, quite true", "list of products, repeatedly look at" At that time, Taihe Mountain five dragons Palace produced "Hammer Plum", was said to eat the Taoist priests "can be immortal immortal fruit. At that time, "Hammer Plums" produced by the Five Dragons Palace in Taihe Mountain were said by the Taoist priests to be "the fruit of immortality". The government strictly forbade others to pick them. Li Shizhen didn't believe the Taoist priests' nonsense, and wanted to try it himself to see what kind of offensive effect it had. So, despite the opposition of the Taoist priests, he took the risk of picking one. After research, found that its effect is the same as ordinary peach, apricot, can produce fluids to quench thirst only, is a kind of elm tree's fruit, and there is no special offensive effect. Pangolin, or pangolin as it is known today, is commonly used in Chinese medicine. Tao Hongjing said it can be amphibious, climbing up to the rock during the day, open the scaly armor, pretending to be dead, luring ants into the armor, and then close the scaly armor, dive into the water, and then open the armor to let the ants float out, and then swallowed. In order to understand whether Tao Hongjing's statement is right, Li Shizhen personally went up the mountain to observe. And with the help of woodcutters and hunters, he caught a pangolin. From its stomach dissected out a liter or so of ants, confirming the pangolin animal this point, Tao Hongjing is right. However, from the observation, he found that the pangolin eating ants, is to scratch open the anthill, licking food, rather than luring ants into the armor, under the water to swallow, Li Shizhen affirmed Tao Hongjing right side, corrected its error. In this way, Li Shizhen after a long period of arduous field investigation, clarified many difficult problems of drugs, in Wanli Wuyin year (A.D. 1578) completed the preparation of "Compendium of Materia Medica". The book has about 1.9 million words, fifty-two volumes, 1,892 kinds of drugs, new drugs, three hundred and seventy-four kinds of more than 10,000 kinds of prescription, with more than 1,000 charts, has become China's pharmacology of the unprecedented monumental. It corrected many mistakes of the predecessors, made outstanding achievements in many aspects such as taxonomy of plants and animals, and contributed to other related disciplines (biology, chemistry, mineralogy, geology, astronomy, etc.). Darwin praised it as "the encyclopedia of ancient China".

Li Shizhen, a great ancient Chinese medical doctor, began to study the Chinese materia medica literature of the past dynasties in 1552, and to make up for the mistakes and strive for excellence, and with more than thirty years of hard work, he finally wrote the Materia Medica Compendium in 1578, which is a 1.9 million-word, 52-volume book divided into 12 parts and 62 categories, and 1,892 kinds of medicines. Each herb is a detailed description of the flavor, origin, form, collection methods, concoctions, pharmacological studies, prescriptions and so on. There are also more than 10,000 accompanying formulas, which are listed after the relevant herbs, illustrating the practical application of the drug in clinical practice. It summarizes the pharmacological experience of our people before the 16th century. Not only did it organize in detail the medicines recorded in the past Materia Medica of various schools, but it also added more than 300 kinds of new medicines, collected effective formulas in the past prescription science, and adopted many folk remedies. At the same time, a large number of drugs have been studied in detail, discussing the cultivation of drugs, concoctions, identification of raw drugs, and instructions for decocting drugs. The wide range of synthesis is unprecedented, broad but not complicated, detailed but important, comprehensive check exactly, straight into the sea of abundance. Set before the Ming Dynasty, the achievements of successive generations of pharmacology. You note that the Chinese medicine canon "Compendium of Materia Medica" in the cereals, fruit, scales, animals, birds, media, vegetables, water are food, extremely common natural food (also Chinese medicine), including the rest of the ministries are also many food. In modern Chinese medicine hospitals, the Chinese herbal pharmacy generally only has grass, wood, insects, gold and stone departments, and the food that is also listed in this Chinese medicine dictionary has not been used and inherited, even though these foods are top quality Chinese medicines, non-toxic, harmless, and precious! Since the Compendium of Materia Medica explicitly lists these foods as herbal medicines that can cure diseases, why don't we do the same and inherit them in their entirety. This is the purpose of placing this TCM text here, to cite the classics, to set the record straight, and also to facilitate the researcher. Sandalwood, Cordyceps Sinensis, Angelica sinensis, Rhizoma Ligustici, Rhizoma Ligustici, Gracilaria confertata, Cortex Eryngium, Hagwort, Angelica dahurica, Paeonia lactiflora, Mudanthera lappa, Aucklandia lappa, Pinellia ternata, Duruo, Gaulthera ternata, Cardamom, Cardamom, Cardamom, Eriobotrygonum, Pickerel, Bone-setting, Turmeric, Curcuma longa, Poncuronium, Thorny trinocarpus, Salix spp. Xia Ku Cao Liu Shu Nu Liu Huan Xia Flower Celosia argentea Cockscomb Cockscomb Redbud Safflower Safflower Swallow fat Artichoke Artichoke Sequel Leucospermum Leucospermum Ramie Root Ramie Root Big Green Small Green Fenugreek Calamansi Evil Fructus Dull Ear Unknown Essence Hidutiae Ruta Ruta Gan Banana Demoiselle Ephedra Mucuna pruriens Lampsiae Rhizoma Dioica Rhizoma Ophiopogon Aster Ophiopogon Aster Macrocephala Daylily Pseudobamboo Leaf Duck Metatarsal Herba Kwai Sichuan Sunflower Longkai Acidulant Sichuan Lamb's Spring Leprosy Clover Corydalis Sanderiana Semen Cassiae Rhizoma Graminii Quemelia Wang Brei Hang Drabanemerosa Drabanemerosa Plantago Ovatae verrucosa snakebite Channagraphe Linn. Aristolochia sinensis Prezaea chinensis Petunia japonica Ophiopogon flexuosus Ziwei Campanula confederate Moonflower Juniperus chinensis Wanggua Kudzu tianmendong Thyme He Shouwu Rhizoma Dioscorea sarsaparilla Poria cocos Ampelopsis japonica Yellow yam seed White yam seed Wei Lingxian Silybum maritimus Antipyrrhiza Tongyao wood Croton Crocus sativus Umbergeri Lawnwort Loxodilurus Mullein Lonicera Lonicera Vine Overview Zeligrassa sheep's hooves Acorus calamus Aizoa applesia pimples Pimpernelle Algae Dendrobium dendrobium osteocarpium Sclerocaryophyllum jingxing grass Jing Tian Tiger Ear Grass Stonewort Spirulina Edelweiss, Edelweiss, Jiaozhi, Jiaozuo Li, Yesterday's Leaf, Touma, Curly cypress, Stone pine, Mabo, Wood (91): Cypress, Clove, Pine, Fir, Cinnamon, Cortex Cinnamomi, Magnolia, Cinquefoil, Senegal, Nan, Camphor, Cangzhang, Ophiopogon, Maple resin, Lavender, Myrrh, Benzoin, Lobelia, Camphor, Sandalwood, Rhus, Uva Ursi, Sumac, Wuhu, Catkin, Elm, Poplar, Salicornia, Willow, Willow, Beech, Mahorale, Sapodilla, Soapberry, Soap Pods, Acacia, Qin Bark, Acacia, Neem, Poppy, Indus, Sycamore, Kirwan, Lacquer, Tsubaki, Simaroubaceae, Eucalyptus, Houpao, Tillarwood, Sandalwood, Tiller, Birch, Palm bark Porcelain Wugu tile Ancient brick Smoke glue Ink (xuanxiang) Kettle umbilical cord ink Hundred herbs cream Wrought stove ash Dust on the beam Fire (5): Charcoal fire Mugwort fire Needle fire Needle fire Lamp fire Cereal (43): Hemp Cannabis Hemp Wheat Wheat Freesick's wheat Buckwheat Rice Japonica Indica Jigen Milk Milk corn Corn Ginseng Tares Coix lacryma-jobi Poppy seed Corn (poppy) Aphrodisiacs Soybean Soybean yellow curly soybean soybean soybean yellow bean scarlet soybean green pea pea Silk beans Cowpea Lentil Knife bean soybean soybean tempeh Tofu Steamed cake Cookies Divine Quarrel Red Quarrel Cork rice Caramel Sauce Vinegar Wine Shochu (燒酒) 糟 Fruit (61): Plum White Fruit Batan Apricot Plum Hammer Peach Chestnut Jujube Pear Papaya Hawthorn Quince Cypress Hawthorn Ringo Persimmon Pomegranate Orange Citrus Orange Teak Citron Pequat Yangmei Cherry Gingko Walnut Hazelnut Pistachio Acorn Quercus Quercus Lychee Longan Longan Threshold Torrent Cephalosporin Betel Nut Coconut Polo Nectar Fig Penang Hedericia Hovenia Peppercorn Peppercorn Bicolor Cornus Cornus Wuju Salt Bran Minh Mi Sweet Watermelon Watermelon Grapes Infanta Macadamia Kiwi Sugar Cane Sugar Sugar Rock Honey Lotus Root Thorny Gravy Water Chestnut Water Chestnut Scale (29): Dragon Hanger Crocodile Pangolin Pelvet Seed Shilongzi Shougong Mealybug Snake Molt Anaconda White Flowering Snake Snake Water Snake Water Snake Shishou Fish Yellow Flowering Fish Yellow Flowering Fish Yellow Flowering Fish Mandarin Goldfish Channa Fish Eel Eel Fish Mud Loach Pelteobagrus fulvidraco Squid Fish Bone Shrimp Seahorse Swimming Jack Roe Common carp Cyprinid Green Coho Beast (30): Ragweed Dog Goat Cattle Horse Donkey Camel Gelatin Yellow Minced Gelatin Niu Huang Preserved Preserved Fish Dog Bao Tiger Panther Elephant Rhinoceros Wild Boar Bear's Gall Bladder Antelope Deer Moose Mus Mus Reindeer Cat Turbot Rabbit Otter Oyster Hedgehog Rhesus Monkey Bird (16): Cranes Pelicans Geese Rashers Teal Chickens Pheasants Pheasants Pigeons Finches Bats Chilly Bats Zebra Doves Crows Magpies Eagles Eagle Dung Ospreys Insects (42): Honey Bees Honeys Bee Bees Dew Hive Yeiung Yeiung Insects Mantis Praying Mantis Mantis Mantis (cuttlebone) White Stiffy Silkworms Evening Silkworms Moths Plain Silkworms Nine-Spice Insects Red Maiden (Simaroubaceae) Zebra Contractions Coriander Spider Bees Pidgeons Scorpions, leeches, maggots, grubs, grasshoppers, cicadas, dung beetles, skunks, mole crickets, mayflies, fireflies, ratites, cockroaches, cockroaches, cockroaches, gadflies, frogs, tadpoles, centipedes, earthworms, snails, snails, roundworms, ascarids, slugs, shellfish, tortoiseshells, tortoiseshells, turtles, crabs, oysters, clams, juju, sea crocodiles, clams, shellfish, mussels, snails, snails, snails. Cress Chickweed Clover Amaranth Lettuce Lettuce Dandelion Houttuynia Fern Viburnum Warble Deer patch Quinoa Taro Potato Dioscorea Dioscorea Glycyrrhiza Lily Bamboo Shoots Tomato Kettle Gourd Bitter gourd Winter Melon Pumpkin Cucumber Cucumber Filamentous Gourd Bitter Melon Purple Seaweed Stone Stonewort Deerhornbeam Loblolly Sleeping Vegetable Reishi Ganoderma lucidum Mushroom Soapberry Aromatica Mushroom Mushroom Chicken Mushroom Earth Mushroom Ear Ear of the Ground Stony Ears Water (16): Dew Bright Water Winter Frost Laxue Summer Ice Half Heavenly River Flowing Water Well Spring Glycerine Hot Soup Halogenated Water A Well Spring Earth Syrup Hundred Boiling Soup Pulp Water (Sour Syrup) Human (6): Renzhong Huang, Human Urine, Messy Hair, Drowned Baiyi, Autumn Stone, Human Cells Jinshi (61): Silver, Natural Copper, Copper Green, Lead, Lead Frost, Powdered Tin, Lead Dan, Mitta Monk, Tin, Iron, Iron Powder, Iron Falling, Iron Essence, White Quartz, Mercury, Mercury Powder, Powdered Frost, Silver Zhu, Spiritual Sands, Male Yellow, Ostrogens, Plasters, Quartz, Ash, Five Colors, Stone Fats, Furnace Glycerin, Unnamed Isolates, Stalactites, Carbumin, Carbonite, Lime, Yangqishi, Cixi, Substitute Ochre, Yu Yu Liang, Empty Green, Tsengqing, Green, Green, Lianqing, Cholera Arsenic, asterisk, pores and other defects, flower milk stone, gold tooth stone, Shi Yan, salt, salt, brine, natrolite, Xuanjing stone, Park nitrate (crude saltpeter nitrate, horse tooth nitrate), Xuanming powder, nitrate, salammoniac, pong sand, sulfur, sulfur, alum, green alum, yellow alum, the general public sees the prescription of Chinese medicine, often laugh, thinking that it is nonsensical, absurd, the sky is the limit! However, this is how steel is made, this is how diamonds are generated, and this is how cancer and AIDS are cured! Modern great scientists wearing white hangings, holding a glass test dish, this composition, that molecular formula, the head of the road, and the felicitous, SARS when they came, where they went, hiding where shivering it? Do not see the ancient Chang'e to the moon, and now more than to the moon! In ancient times, Hou Yi shot the sun, modern scientists are not planning to destroy the moon? Ancient superstition is now science, ancient culture is our future way out, but also the two levels of separation! Now, it seems that it can really be dumbfounded.

Reference: duosuccess/BZGM/001a04080101

Li Shizhen (1518-1593) was an outstanding scientist in ancient China. After he took the Xiu Cai exam at the age of fourteen, he failed the countryside examination three times, so he studied medicine according to his own will, and began his career as a doctor from then on. He practiced medicine on the one hand, and organized the knowledge and experience gained on the other, and spent nearly forty years writing and revising the illustrated "Compendium of Materia Medica", which detailed nearly two thousand kinds of traditional Chinese medicines, and made a great contribution to the science of medicine.