COMPENDIUM OF MATERIA MEDICA (Bencao Gangmu)

Foreign Languages Press, Beijing January 2003

Considered one of the key achievements of ancient Chinese civilization for its wealth of information on medicine, mineralogy, botany, zoology, and natural science Compendium of Materia Medica covers the long period between remote antiquity and the Ming Dynasty when the book was first published in 1593.

As early as the 17th century, Compendium of Materia Medica was introduced through translations to some other countries in Asia, Europe and America as an essential work for the study of Chinese medical science, ancient Chinese science and technology and ancient Chinese culture and history. However, with the exception of a complete Japanese translation published in Japan in the 1970s, only parts of Compendium of Materia Medical mostly having to do with pharmacological therapeutics
have been translated. More difficult sections of the book involving history, culture and science have never been translated, with only abridged versions of the book available in the West.

To fill the void and to make accessible to Western readers the full knowledge contained in this great scientific encyclopedia of China, the Foreign Languages Press is now pleased to present the first full English translation of the entire Compendium of Materia Medica. The translator and other experts have given many years of dedicated work to this project, trying to be true to the original text while providing notes to explain some of the contents in light of modern scientific research. Because of the scope and depth of the material with its many specialized terms, translation was extremely difficult. We recognize that some errors are bound to exist despite the utmost efforts of the translator and other experts, and we invite readers to point out any mistakes or to make any suggestions for the improvement of future editions.

Committee for the editing and publication of the English edition of Compendium of Materia Medica

Consultant: Xiao Xiaoming

Chairperson: Li Zhenguo

Executive Editors: Hu Kaimin  Chen Yousheng

English Polishers: Paul White  Geoffrey Murray  Edward Jelks  May Fong Yee
                                  Kris Sri Bhaggiyadatta   Lisa Buckley

English Editors:  Liang Liangxing  Xu Rong  Kuang Peihua
                              Wang Zengfen   Yu Ling   He Jun   Zhang Shaoning
                              Sun Lijie   Yang Tingxuan   Wang Qin   Ouyang Weiping

English Proofreaders: Ren Lingjuan  Fang Zhiyun  Zhang Minjie Li Yao
                                         Li Yong Li Fang

Cover Designer:  Cai Rong

Production Supervisor:  Han Shaoyi