Some Medicinal Plants Used in Chinese Medicine.
Abstract
Chinese medicine is of great interest as a rich source for new therapeutic preparations. Developed over the course of thousands of years, it now counts approximately 2,OOO different drugs of which two thirds are of vegetable origin. Among the medicinal plants of Chinese medicine we should distinguish: (1) pharmacopoeial plants; this is a comparatively small number of 66 species from which drugs of the so-called European medicine are prepared; (2) plants used for therapeutic purposes in popular medicine at the present time and not considered official; (3) plants of Old Chinese medicine; this is the most numerous group, counting up to 1,500 species and recognized as official in China at present. Drugs from these plants were tested by the Chinese people and physicians of antiquity during the course of thousands of years and have been given their most brilliant presentation in the works of the outstanding pharmacologist and botanist Li Shih-chen. In his book Principles of Pharmacology (Peng Ts'ao Kang Mu), published in 1578 and numbering 52 volumes, Li Shih-chen gave a critical survey and generalization of the very rich experience gained by the Chinese people and physicians during their past history up to the 16th century.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 27, 1960
- Accession Number
- ADA360630
Entities
Organizations
- Joint Publications Research Service