From religious manual to herbal pharmacopoeia:a textual study of the formation and transformation of Shennong''''s Classic of Materia Medica

摘要

The earliest Ben Cao Jing(Classics of Materia Medica;25 C.E.–220 C.E.)appeared during the reign of the Han Dynasty(202 B.C.E.–220 C.E.);their origins are traceable to the religious group called Fang Xian Dao.In addition to their use as a medical reference,the Ben Cao Jing works were also used for religious purposes.Tao Hongjing(456 C.E.–536 C.E.),a famous doctor and Daoist(one member of the Chinese local religion,Daoism)of the Liang Dynasty(502 C.E.–557 C.E.),compiled the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu(Variorum of Classics of Materia Medica;456 C.E.–536 C.E.)based on the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing(Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica;25 C.E.–220 C.E.).During the compilation of this book,Tao made a radical medical revision to the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing,by reducing its religious contents while complementing its medical contents.After such revisions,the ancient Ben Cao Jing was transformed from a religious manual into an herbal pharmacopoeia.