A Japanese classic book on materia medica Ben Cao Quan

Abstract

Ben Cao Quan is an ancient classic book on materia medica compiled by Goku Yoshida, a Japanese scholar in the Edo period (1603-1867). A total of 568 materia medica in 53 categories in Ben Cao Quan came from Ben Cao Gang Mu compiled by Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty. These materia medica were introduced with some of his own interpretations of Goku Yoshida. The main characteristics of Ben Cao Quan reflected as follows. It attached importance to the comparison of translation from Chinese into Japanese and selected those materia medica commonly used in Japan, in particular, from 'spicific explanation' (Ji Jie) and 'smell' (Qi Wei) in Ben Cao Gang Mu.It focused on application and integrated local practice, and interpreted the personal insights of Goku Yoshida.Goku Yoshida's personal understanding and perception of these material medica were shown in terms of their origin and quality, analysis of their properties and collection, interpretation of their identification and selection, their local names, their Japanese names, and review of the changes when these materia medica were introduced into Japan.The purpose of Ban Cao Quan was to attempt to help Japanese identify materia medica and distinguish quality and interpret materia medica with Japanese characteristics. The book is valuable literature for the research of the impact of Ben Cao Gang Mu on the development of materia medica in Japan.