恤患救灾。圣贤仙佛之同念。继志述事。仁人孝子之苦心。炎帝尝草木于太古之年。为
民
除疾。扁鹊饮上池于长桑之手。用此尊生。洞察乎温寒平热之原。精辨其君臣佐使之义。盖
用
之得当。则可转危而为安。处置乖方。则反易治而为乱。若非深知物性则必骤发误人。所以
素问灵枢犹待潜心之后。本草纲目实居格物之先。惟吾老友蒋介繁先生。积学有年。号称博
物。游艺之暇。爰及方书。志在活人。不惜研精殚智。心期济世。屡经博考周咨。聿着成书
。未谋剞劂。
令子雪洲。英才粹质。早岁执经。壮志惠心。频年问字。父书能读。何止万轴牙签。先
志可承
。只此一编药石。公之当世。功在内经脉诀之先。珍作家藏。事属问安尝药之首。仁亦溥矣
。孝孰大焉。
时康熙己未暮春。
白沙友人陈启贞顿首拜书。
一、本草分玉石草木上中下诸品。其药性即注于各味之下。此遵前贤所定寒热温平四种。
以
类求之即得。
二、本草药味颇多。此择必用要药凡三百五十六种。其怪异难购者。不复赘及。
三、各药先定气味主治并及恶畏反忌。以防忽略。
四、诸家论药语简当可采。用药君佐互重。有裨医学。今用之不察者俱附药品主治之下。
五、药稍僻者。其出产形貌制法收法。必注其下。
六、是书先人博涉群典。用意良苦。未及刻之身前。寰内闻而购之不得。浣亟出绣梓。
一以
完先人仁寿之怀。一以慰同人饥渴之望。
七、亲友面同较订。受益良多。敬藉芳名。用垂不朽。
八、是书悉出先人手订。浣不敢增减一字。
蒋浣敬识。
To show compassion for the sick and relieve disasters is a shared aspiration of sages, immortals, and Buddhas. To inherit the will of one's ancestors and elaborate upon their deeds is the painstaking effort of benevolent people and filial sons. In ancient times, Shennong (the Divine Farmer) tasted various herbs to eliminate diseases for the people; Bian Que drank "water from an upper pool" obtained from Changsang Jun, thereby respecting life, gaining insight into the origins of cold, heat, neutrality, and warmth, and meticulously distinguishing the principles of sovereign, minister, assistant, and courier roles in herbal prescriptions. Generally, if drugs are used appropriately, critical conditions can be turned into safety; if handled improperly, easily treatable conditions may become chaotic and difficult. Without a deep understanding of drug properties, hasty errors harming patients are inevitable. Therefore, while *Suwen* (Plain Questions) and *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot) require profound study to master, *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica) actually precedes the investigation of things (Gewu).
My old friend, Mr. Jiang Jiefan, has accumulated learning for many years and is renowned for his broad knowledge. During his leisure from studying the arts, he turned his attention to medical formularies, aspiring to save lives. He spared no effort in refining his research and exhausting his wisdom, with the hope of benefiting the world. After extensive investigation and consultation, he finally completed this book but did not have it printed.
His son, Xuezhou, possesses outstanding talent and pure character. In his early years, he held classics to ask questions, harboring lofty ambitions and a benevolent heart. For many years, he sought instruction from his father. His father's books were readable by him, numbering more than ten thousand volumes. He could inherit his predecessor's will. This single compilation on medicines, when made public, offers benefits prior to the understanding of meridians and pulse diagnoses; kept as a family treasure, it serves as the primary act of asking after parents' health and tasting medicine (to discern their ailments). Benevolence is thus extensive; what greater filial piety exists?
In the late spring of the Jiwei year of the Kangxi reign.
Chen Qizhen, a friend from Baisha, bows and writes respectfully.
1. Materia medica classifies minerals, stones, plants, and trees into superior, middle, and inferior grades. Their medicinal properties are noted under each substance, following the four categories of cold, hot, warm, and neutral established by former sages, allowing for easy retrieval by category.
2. There are numerous medicinal substances in materia medica. Here, only 356 essential and necessary drugs are selected. Strange or hard-to-obtain items are not repeated.
3. For each drug, its flavor, therapeutic indications, and contraindications (such as aversions, fears, incompatibilities, and prohibitions) are determined first to prevent oversight.
4. Concise and valuable discussions on drugs from various schools, particularly regarding the relative weights of sovereign and assistant herbs, are beneficial to medicine. These insights are attached below the therapeutic indications of the respective drugs.
5. For slightly obscure drugs, their places of origin, morphology, preparation methods, and storage techniques must be annotated below.
6. This book was compiled by my predecessor through extensive reading of various classics, with sincere intentions. Before his death, it remained unprinted, and although known throughout the realm, it could not be purchased. I hurriedly funded its engraving and printing. This aims to fulfill my predecessor's wish for benevolence and longevity, and to satisfy the eager desire for knowledge among colleagues.
7. Relatives and friends proofread and corrected the text together, deriving much benefit. I respectfully list their names to ensure immortality.
8. This book was entirely edited by my predecessor's hand. I dare not add or delete a single word.
Jiang Huan respectfully records.