Compendium of Materia Medica, Volumes 5-6 (1596) - Page 4

for Volume 5

...is the lifeblood of existence. The Nutritive and Defensive systems original: 營衛 (Yíng-Wèi). In Chinese medicine, "Ying" refers to the nutritive energy that circulates within the blood vessels, while "Wei" is the protective energy that circulates on the body's surface to defend against illness. depend upon it. Therefore, it is said: when water is gone, the Nutritive energy is exhausted; when grain is gone, the Defensive energy perishes.

Consequently, the nature and flavors of different waters are matters to which those who are cautious about illness and protective of their health must devotedly apply their minds. I have now collected forty-three types of water relevant to medicine and diet, divided into two categories: Celestial and Terrestrial. In old editions, the category of waters...

...consisted of thirty-two types in total which were scattered throughout the Section on Jades and Stones

One type from the Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians

Annotated by Tao Hongjing of the Liang Dynasty

Twenty-six types from the Supplement to the Materia Medica

By Chen Zangqi of the Tang Dynasty

Four types from the Jiayou Materia Medica

By Zhang Yuxi of the Song Dynasty

Eleven types from the Compendium of Materia Medica

By Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty

Supplementary Notes


Li Dangzhi’s Pharmacopeia of the Wei Dynasty	Xu Zhicai’s Medicinal Pairings of the Qi Dynasty	Li Xun’s Maritime Medicines of the Tang Dynasty	Meng Shen’s Dietary Therapy of the Tang Dynasty
Wu Pu’s Materia Medica	Su Gong’s Materia Medica of the Tang Dynasty	Zhen Quan’s Medicinal Properties	Chen Shiliang’s Dietary Properties
Lei Xiao’s Treatise on the Preparation of Medicinal Substances of the Song Dynasty	Sun Simiao’s Thousand Golden Formulas	Yang Sunzhi’s Condensed Prescriptions	Han Baosheng’s Re-annotated Materia Medica of the Shu Kingdom