Ben Cao Gang Mu, Volume II - Waters, Fires, Soils, Metals, Jades, Stones, Minerals, Salts

"The contribution of this work is immense: a complete translation of one of the landmark scientific/medical works in Chinese history. The Ben cao gang mu, historically, has been the most comprehensive materia medica, with 1,892 medical substances. But because of the various regions of mainland China explored by Li Shizhen, Ming dynasty–era social mores, language, the multiple cultures of China, and different usages of medicinals throughout China, it has been difficult at best to translate this work into European languages, including English. Previous attempts have led to inferior works. The Ben cao gang mu also quotes many preceding works of materia medica, some no longer available, and folk knowledge of remedies, so few herbal medicine texts can compete with this one. It is an invaluable resource, indeed, for the clinician and the scholar and in university libraries. It is academic, precise, readable, and well sourced."––Z'ev Rosenberg, author of Returning to the Source: Han Dynasty Medical Classics in Modern Clinical Practice

List of contents

1. Prolegomena. 
1.1 History of Chinese materia medica literature. 
1.2 Structure and contents of the Ben cao gang mu. 
1.3 Biographical sketch of Li Shizhen (1518 – 1593). 
2. Notes on the Translation. 
3. Wang Shizhen’s preface of 1590. 
4. Translation of the Ben cao gang mu 本草綱目. Chapters 5 - 11. 

Section Waters. Chapter 5
Group I: Waters of Heaven 
Group II: Waters of the Earth

Section Fires. Chapter 6

Section Soils. Chapter 7

Section Metals and Stones. Chapter 8
Group I: Metals
Group II: Jades

Section Stones. Chapter 9 
Group III: Stones

Chapter 10: Section of Stones 
Group IV: Stones

Section Stones. Chapter 11 
Group V: Salt Stones/Minerals

Appendix
5. Weights and measures. 
5.1 Measures of capacity. 
5.2 Measures of weight.
5.3 Measures of length. 
5.4 Measures of the size of pills. 
6. Appendix Pharmaceutical Substances of Plant Origin mentioned in BCGM ch 5 – 11 in passing. By Ulrike Unschuld

Product details

• Authors: LI Shizhen, Shizhen Li
• Assisted by: Paul U. Unschuld (Translation), Unschuld Paul U. (Translation)
• Publisher: University Of California Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 02.02.2021
• EAN: 9780520379893
• ISBN: 978-0-520-37989-3
• No. of pages: 906
• Series: Ben cao gang mu: 16th Century Encyclopedia of Materia Medica and Natural History; Ben cao gang mu: 16th Century Chinese Encyclopedia of Materia Medica and Natural History
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > General; China, HEALTH & FITNESS / Herbal Medications, HEALTH & FITNESS / Alternative Therapies, MEDICAL / Alternative & Complementary Medicine, MEDICAL / History, HISTORY / Asia / China, History of Medicine, complementary medicine, Asian History, Traditional medicine and herbal remedies, Traditional medicine & herbal remedies, Complementary and alternative medicine and therapies