Compendium of Materia Medica, Volumes 5-6 (1596) - Page 2

# By Imperial Decree: The Complete Library in the Four Sections original: 欽定四庫全書 (Qinding Siku Quanshu). The prefix "By Imperial Decree" signifies the Emperor's direct sponsorship and oversight of the project. ### The Masters Section original: 子部 (Zi Bu). This category encompasses specialized knowledge, including medicine, philosophy, and the sciences. ### Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume 56 original: 本草綱目 (Bencao Gangmu). Written by Li Shizhen in the 16th century, this is the most influential book in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Detailed Proofreading Official and Physician of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Your Servant Cheng Tai

The term "Your Servant" (臣, chen) was required for any official submitting work to the Emperor, signaling their humble status before the throne.

Editor and Final Reviewer, Your Servant Cang Shengmai

Chief Proofreading Official and Hanlin Bachelor, Your Servant He Sijun

A "Hanlin Bachelor" (庶吉士, shu jishi) was an elite scholar-official in training at the Hanlin Academy, the empire's premier intellectual institution.

Proofreading Official and Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, Your Servant Wu Yude

Transcription Student of the Imperial Academy, Your Servant Shen Xizeng

Transcription students (謄錄監生, tenglu jiansheng) were responsible for the painstaking task of hand-copying the manuscripts into the final, standardized format seen here.