Ping Wang - Selected Reading of Li Shizhens Medical Works

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By Ping Wang

Translated by Ya Liu

Originally published by Hubei Science and Technology Press, Wuhan, China

SELECTED READING OF LI SHIZHENS MEDICAL WORKS

The Chinese Materia Medica Ben Cao Gang Mu

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About the Author

WANGPing is a professor and chief physician of traditional Chinese medicine and special expert of State Council Government Allowance. Currently, he is the Vice President and Geriatrics Institute Director of Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, China.

He was honoured with Young Expert with Great Contribution in Hubei Province in 2003, The National TCM Excellent Successor in 2008, Star of TCM Science and Technology in 2010, and was selected in the first group of Hubei Province Medical Leader Project in 2013.

He is mainly engaged in the research on Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica) and Huang Di Nei ling (Huangdis Internal Classic), the classic works of traditional Chinese medicine, and other classic theories concerning anti-aging function of Chinese medicine. Meanwhile, he works at the research of prevention, treatment, recuperation and product development for geriatric diseases such as insomnia, amnesia and other diseases. Besides, he is adept in traditional Chinese medical diagnosis and treatment of nerves, endocrine disease, deficiency syndrome, and other miscellaneous diseases.

About the Chief Translator

LIU Ya is a professor of English and dean at the School of Foreign Languages, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, China. She is the Vice Chairperson of the 4th Board of Specialty Committee of Translation of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. She is also the Vice Director of Chinese Association for Research and Advancement of Chinese Traditional Medicine. Her primary research is medical English and translation. Her major works include Personality Psychology, Nursing English, A Practical Course in American Literature, and Huangdis Internal Classic for Health Preservation, etc.

Co-translators: QUE Hongling, ZHANG Linxi, HAO Jianjun, LI Sile, XIE Tingting, WANG Ling, SHI Ping

Preface

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) contains an extensive knowledge that the Chinese nation has accumulated through practical experimentation and theoretical research in treating diseases and promoting health over a period of thousands of years. Throughout history, many TCM theorists, experts, and pharmacists have contributed valuable works. The most representative of them was Li Shizhen with his Ben Cao Gang Mu, which was praised by Charles Darwin as an encyclopedia of ancient China and was selected into Memory of the World Register by UNESCO in 2011.

Born in Qizhou (Qichun, Hubei Province), Li Shizhen (15181593), also called Dongbi, followed in his fathers footsteps in practicing medicine. He studied medical works intently and determined to correct the errors he found in them. He is said to have read more than 300 medical books. He traveled widely, and interviewed doctors, pharmacists, fishermen, handicraftsmen, snake catchers and hunters over a period of 27 years. He finally completed his Ben Cao Gang Mu in 1578. It derives part of its name from its classification of drugs and treatments into 16 gang (categories) and 60 mu (subcategories).

Ben Cao Gang Mu comprises 52 volumes, describing 1,892 drugs, with 1,109 illustrations. Its 16 categories are those of water, fire, earth, metals and stones, herbs, cereals, vegetables, fruits and woods an evolution from minor to major; and fabrics and utensils, insects, animals with scales, shells, fowls, animals, and finally humans an evolution from the least developed to the most advanced. Of the 60 subcategories, those of herbs include mountain herbs, fragrant herbs, herbs from swampland, toxic herbs, creeping herbs, aquatic herbs, herbs from rocky land, mosses, miscellaneous herbs, and herbs with their names recorded but not yet in use. Ben Cao Gang Mu records 1,094 floral drugs, 444 fauna drugs and 354 mineral drugs. As for floral drugs, their roots, stems, flowers, fruits, as well as the time to gather them and processing are stated clearly to guarantee the best pharmaceutical effects.

This book is divided into two parts: The introduction and the selected reading of the original work of Ben Cao Gang Mu. In the introductory part, the life story, academic characteristics and main contributions of Li Shizhen are illustrated, and suggested learning methods of the book are recommended as well. Five aspects are mainly discussed in the selected reading part: Original preface and memorial to the throne, essence of Li Shizhens medical theories, treatment of various diseases, Li Shizhens medical records and medical notes, and health preservation. Apart from the selected reading from the original work of Ben Cao Gang Mu, theoretical exposition and modem application are supplemented in each chapter, so as to improve readers theoretical knowledge and ability of practical problem-solving.

Acknowledgment

This book is the achievement of the Project of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education of the Peoples Republic of China in 2018 (18YJA740031).

Introduction

Li Shizhen, whose courtesy name was Dongbi, was also known as Bin Hu Shan Ren in his later years. Born in Waxieba (Doctor Street at present), Dongchang Street, Qizhou town, Qichun county, in Hubei Province, Li Shizhen was a famous medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty and was universally acknowledged as one of the outstanding traditional Chinese medicine masters in the world. Li Shizhens distinguished medical achievements shine brightly in the long history of traditional Chinese medicine and the brilliance will last forever, and his medical spirit of Expounding the truth of life; applying in practice to help the world is admired by capable and wise people.