Bencao gangmu
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The Bencao gangmu, or Compendium of Materia Medica, is a monumental work compiled by Li Shizhen during the Ming dynasty in China. Completed in 1578, this influential materia medica details 1,892 drugs and provides instructions for over 11,000 prescriptions. It includes descriptions of 1,094 herbs, 444 animal substances, and 275 mineral substances.1
Li Shizhen's compilation drew from numerous smaller works and incorporated observations on processes like distillation. The Bencao gangmu also described the uses of substances such as mercury, ephedrine, chaulmoogra oil, and iodine, and even mentioned smallpox inoculation. A later edition published in the 1600s featured more than 1,100 illustrations. This work is considered a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine and has been frequently revised and reprinted, remaining authoritative.12
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ChinaLiterature and scholarship…produced great illustrated encyclopedias, including Bencao gangmu (late 16th century; “Index of Native Herbs”), a monumental materia medica listing 1,892 herbal concoctions and their applications; Sancai tuhui (1607–09; “Assembled Pictures of the Three Realms”), a work on subjects such as architecture, tools, costumes, ceremonies, animals, and amusements; Wubeizhi (1621; “Treatise…
Read More…produced great illustrated encyclopedias, including Bencao gangmu (late 16th century; “Index of Native Herbs”), a monumental materia medica listing 1,892 herbal concoctions and their applications; Sancai tuhui (1607–09; “Assembled Pictures of the Three Realms”), a work on subjects such as architecture, tools, costumes, ceremonies, animals, and amusements; Wubeizhi (1621; “Treatise…
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educationThe Ming period (1368–1644)…note was the compilation of Pencao kangmu (“Great Pharmacopoeia”), a valuable volume on herbs and medicine that was the fruit of 26 years of labour.
Read More…note was the compilation of Pencao kangmu (“Great Pharmacopoeia”), a valuable volume on herbs and medicine that was the fruit of 26 years of labour.
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