SCIENCE OF CHINESE MATERIA MEDICA - A Newly Compiled Practical English-Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicinal herbs are used in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as the main means to prevent and treat diseases and maintain health. As one of the basic subjects of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica centers the elaboration and study on the theories and clinical practice of Chinese medicinal herbs. This book, under the guidance of the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine and according to practical and effective principles, systematically introduces the basic theories concerning traditional Chinese Materia Medica, methods and principles in using Chinese medicinal herbs as well. The whole book consists of General Introduction, Specific Discussions and Appendix.

General Introduction mainly introduces common knowledge about Chinese medicinal herbs, including properties, processing, compatibility, contraindication, dosage and administration of Chinese medicinal herbs.

Specific Discussions, containing 236 kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs (including 10 kinds of added medicines), is divided into 16 chapters according to their specific efficacy. Each sort of Chinese medicinal herbs is illustrated in the order of formal name, source, applying parts, habitat, collecting and processing methods, properties, efficacy and application, usage and dosage as well as cautions, the efficacy and application of which are the focal points. The category of explanation particularly lays emphasis on the comparison between some Chinese medicinal herbs which have similar actions, application of added medicines, and other items in need of further explanation, etc.. All of names, sources and clinical dosage appeared in the book are quoted from the Pharmacopoeia the people's Republic of China (1995 Edition) as standard.

Appendix contains index convenience, herb Latin names. For convenience the index of Latin names is arranged in the order of alphabets.

Preface

The Publishing House of Shanghai University of TCM published A Practical English-Chinese Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1990. The Library has been well-known in the world ever since and has made great contributions to the dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine in the world. In view of the fact that 10 years has passed since its publication and that there are certain errors in the explanation of traditional Chinese medicine in the Library, the Publishing House has invited Nanjing University of TCM and Shanghai University of TCM to organize experts to recompile and translate the Library.

Nanjing University of TCM and Shanghai University of TCM are well-known for their advantages in higher education of traditional Chinese medicine and compilation of traditional Chinese medical textbooks. The compilation of A Newly Compiled Practical English-Chinese Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine has absorbed the rich experience accumulated by Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in training international students of traditional Chinese medicine. Compared with the previous Library, the Newly Compiled Library has made great improvements in many aspects, fully demonstrating the academic system of traditional Chinese medicine. The whole series of books has systematically introduced the basic theory and therapeutic methods based on syndrome differentiation, expounding traditional Chinese pharmacy and prescriptions; explaining 236 herbs, 152 prescriptions and 100 commonly-used patent drugs; elucidating 264 methods for differentiating syndromes and treating commonly-encountered and frequently-encountered diseases in internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, traumatology and orthopedics, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology; introducing the basic methods and theory of acupuncture and moxibustion, massage (tuina) , life cultivation and rehabilitation, including 70 kinds of diseases suitable for acupuncture and moxibustion, 38 kinds of diseases for massage, examples of life cultivation and over 20 kinds of commonly encountered diseases treated by rehabilitation therapies in traditional Chinese medicine. For better understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, the books are neatly illustrated. There are 296 line graphs and 30 colored pictures in the Library with necessary indexes, making it more comprehensive, accurate and systematic in disseminating traditional Chinese medicine in the countries and regions where English is the official language.

This Library is characterized by following features:

1. Scientific Based on the development of TCM in education and research in the past 10 years, efforts have been made in the compilation to highlight the gist of TCM through accurate theoretical exposition and clinical practice, aiming at introducing authentic theory and practice to the world.
   
2. Systematic This Library contains 14 separate fascicles, i.e. Basic Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Diagnostics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Science of Chinese Materia Medica, Science of Prescriptions, Internal Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Surgery of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gynecology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Pediatrics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traumatology and Orthopedics of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ophthalmology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Chinese Tuina (Massage) , and Life Cultivation and Rehabilitation of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
   
3. Practical Compared with the previous Library, the Newly Compiled Library has made great improvements and supplements, systematically introducing therapeutic methods for treating over 200 kinds of commonly and frequently encountered diseases, focusing on training basic clinical skills in acupuncture and moxibustion, tuina therapy, life cultivation and rehabilitation with clinical case reports.
   
4. Standard This Library is reasonable in structure, distinct in categorization, standard in terminology and accurate in translation with full consideration of habitual expressions used in countries and regions with English language as the mother tongue.

This series of books is not only practical for the beginners with certain competence of English to study TCM, but also can serve as authentic text~ books for international students in universities and colleges of TCM in China to study and practice TCM. For those from TCM field who are going to go abroad to do academic exchange, this series of books will provide them with unexpected convenience.

Professor Xiang Ping, President of Nanjing University of TCM, is the director of the Compilation Board, Professor Zuo Yanfu from Nanjing University of TCM, General Compiler-in-Chief, is in charge of the compilation. Zhang Wenkang, Minis~ ter of Health Ministry, is invited to be the honorary director of the Editorial Board. Li Zhenji, Vice Director of the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, is invited to be the director of the Approval Committee. Chen Keji, academician of China Academy, is invited to be the General Advisor. International advisors invited are Mr. M. S. Khan, Chairman of Ireland Acupuncture and Moxibustion Fund; Miss Alessandra Gull, Chairman of "Nanjing Association" in Rome, Italy; Doctor Secondo Scarsella, Chief Editor of YI DAO ZA ZHI; President Raymond K. Carroll from Australian Oriental Touching Therapy College; Ms. Shulan Tang, Academic Executive of ATCM in Britain; Mr. Glovanni Maciocia from Britain; Mr. David, Chairman of American Association of TCM; Mr. Tzu Kuo Shih, director of Chi- nese Medical Technique Center in Connecticut, America; Mr. Helmut Ziegler, director of TCM Center in Germany; and Mr. Isigami Hiroshi from Japan. Chen Ken, official of WHO responsible for the Western Pacific Region, has greatly encouraged the compilers in compiling this series of books. After the accomplishment of the compilation, Professor Zhu Qingsheng, Vice-Minister of Health Ministry and Director of the State Administrative Bureau of TCM, has set a high value on the books in his foreword for the Library. Zhang Xiaorui, an official from WHO's Traditional Medicine Program, has paid great attention to the compilation and written a foreword for the Library. The officials from the educational organizations of China in other countries have provided us with some useful materials in our compilation. They are Mr. Zhang Yiqun, China Consul to Manchester in Britain; Miss Yan Meihua, Consul to Houston in America; Mr. Wang Jiping, First Secretary in the Educational Department in the Embassy of China to France; and Mr. Gu Shengying, the Second Secretary in the Educational Departmerit in the Embassy of China to Germany. We are grateful to them all.

The Compilers December, 2000