Compendium of Materia Medica, Part Two

The Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) is the most famous encyclopedic work in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This table serves as a categorized index for easy reference.


Bugbane original: "Shengma"	Paniculate Swallow-wort original: "Xu Changqing"	Pubescent Angelica original: "Duhuo"	Thorowax Root original: "Chaihu"	Thorowax from Guangxin (attached)	Coptis Root original: "Huanglian"	Baikal Skullcap original: "Huangqin"	Densefruit Pittany original: "Baixian"	Fritillary Bulb original: "Beimu"
Red Sage Root original: "Danshen"	Siler Root original: "Fangfeng"	Wild Ginger original: "Xixin"	Large Thorowax	Small Thorowax	Coastal Hogfennel original: "Fangkui"	Black Swallow-wort original: "Baiwei"	Anemarrhena Rhizome original: "Zhimu"	Figwort original: "Yuanshen"

The plants listed here are primary "Mountain Herbs" used to treat a variety of ailments: 1\. Thorowax (Chaihu): Crucial for treating alternating chills and fever. The text distinguishes between "Large" and "Small" varieties and a specific regional type from Guangxin. 2\. Coptis (Huanglian) and Skullcap (Huangqin): Famous "bitter and cold" herbs used to clear internal heat and infections. 3\. Figwort (Yuanshen): In this text, the character Yuan (元) is used instead of the traditional Xuan (玄). This was a common practice in the Qing Dynasty to avoid using the forbidden personal name of the Kangxi Emperor, Xuanye. 4\. Wild Ginger (Xixin): Known for its pungent property to dispel cold and relieve pain.