Library

The ancient "Sanfen" (Three Great Treatises) texts include those attributed to Shennong. Once the properties of hundreds of herbs were distinguished, *Bencao* (Materia Medica) preserved their records. The old classic consisted of three volumes, circulated in the world; *Bie Lu* (Separate Records of Famous Physicians) was compiled mutually with it. By the Liang Dynasty, Tao Hongjing, styled Zhengbai Xiansheng, integrated the content of *Bie Lu* into the *Ben Jing* (Classic of Materia Medica), using vermilion and black ink respectively, which was considered clear and understandable at the time; he further investigated the functions of these substances and provided annotations, arranging them into seven volumes, which circulated in the southern regions.

Upon reaching the Tang Dynasty, additional verification was conducted, adding over eight hundred medicinal items, and expanding the annotated text to twenty-one volumes. Omitted functions in the *Ben Jing* were supplemented, and erroneous explanations by Tao were verified and corrected. However, more than four hundred years had passed since then; the vermilion characters (representing the ancient classic) and black characters (representing the separate records) no longer aligned where they originally should have been identical; old and new annotations suffered from mutual textual omissions. Unless a sage ruler governed during an era of great unity and enjoyed boundless blessings, how could such corrections be made? Thus, an order was issued to thoroughly investigate transmission errors and publish a definitive edition; inappropriate classifications were reformed accordingly.

For instance, "Bitou Hui" (Pen-tip Ash), which is actually rabbit hair bristles, was previously listed in the Grass category; it is now moved under Rabbit Skull Bone. "Ban Tian He" (Half-Heaven River) and "Di Jiang" (Earth Slurry), both being water-related, were also in the Grass category; they are now moved among the Earth and Stone categories. "Bai Gu Pi" (Rotten Drum Skin) is moved to Animal Skin; "Hu Tong Lei" (Hu-tong Tear/Resin) is changed to follow the Wood category. "Zi Kuang" (Purple Resin) is also wood, taken from the Jade and Stone section; "Fu Yi" (Flying Bat/Vesperugo), being a bird-like creature, is moved from the Insect and Fish section. "Ju You" (Citrus and Pomelo) are attached to the Fruit category; "Shi Yan" (Salt) is attached to Guangming Yan (Bright Salt). "Sheng Jiang" (Fresh Ginger) and "Gan Jiang" (Dried Ginger) are归 (guī - classified together) under one explanation. As for "Ji Chang" (Chicken Intestine), "Fan Lou" (Artemisia selengensis), "Lu Ying" (Euphorbia lathyris), and "Shuo Di" (Polygonum multiflorum), due to similarity in category, they are attached accordingly.

The works of Chen Cangqi's *Shi Yi* (Supplementary Records) and Li Hanguang's *Yin Yi* (Phonetic and Semantic Explanations) are still adopted; some trace origins to other editions, others transmit efficacy known to physicians. These are compared and evaluated to distinguish their merits and faults. For example, "Tu Qu Bai," formerly said to be ash-type, is now identified as a wood root; the root of "Tian Ma" (Gastrodia Elata), whose explanation seemed similar to "Chi Jian" (Rhizoma Gastrodiae), is now found completely different. Removing the incorrect and selecting the correct, new entries are specially established. The remaining corrections cannot be enumerated in full; after widely collecting opinions, a printing block edition is finalized.

Thus, white characters denote what Shennong said; black characters denote what famous physicians transmitted; Tang-era attachments and current attachments are each clearly marked; detailed explanations that examine form and nature, proving errors and distinguishing truths, are signed as "Jin Zhu" (Current Annotation); those that verify texts and record accounts are designated as "Jin An" (Current Commentary). With principles established and logic clarified, the new and old medicines total nine hundred and eighty-three types, along with the table of contents, comprising twenty-one volumes. This is widely promulgated throughout the realm for circulation and practice.