In Terms of Compendium of Materia Medica Introducing Chinese Yam’s Application and Developing the Traditional Clinical Dispensing Technology of Chinese Medicine Master Jin Shiyuan

Abstract

The original name of Chinese Yam (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Shan Yao) is Shu Yu, which is one of the four Huai medicines commonly used in clinical medicine. Chinese Yam (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Shan Yao) was firstly recorded as upper in Classics of the Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), the upper grade nourishes life. Many classical prescription manuals included Chinese Yam (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Shan Yao), such as Liuwei Dihuang Pills, Jingui Shenqi Pills, Guishao Dihuang Pills, and so on. Donghan Dynasty (A.D. 25-220) Zhang Zhongjing recorded that Shuyu Pill is the prescription mainly treats weak disease in Synopsis of the Golden Chamber (Jin Gui Yao Lve). Li Shizhen summarized Chinese Yam’s medicinal action as five aspects including toughen up kidney Qi, strengthening the spleen and stomach, arrest diarrhea, reduce phlegm, nourish pelage in Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu). The Chinese Medicine master Jin Shiyuan inherited Li Shizhen’s academic thought, medicine culture, and developed nine Chinese medicinal clinical dispensing technologies. This paper is based on Li Shizhen’s description of Chinese Yam (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Shan Yao) in the Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu). In the process of analysis, CNKI, Wanfang, and other databases were searched with “Chinese Yam (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Shan Yao)”, “Li Shizhen”, “Jin Shiyuan”, “clinical dispensing technology”, “processed products”, “prescription payable”, “specifications and grades” as keywords. To collect the historical origin, processing methods, processing products, prescription payables, specifications and grades, clinical application, and modern development from recording such as the Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu) on Chinese Yam (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Shan Yao) in the history, inheriting Li Shizhen’s academic thought, medicine culture, and studying the Chinese Medicine master Jin Shiyuan’s clinical dispensing technology experience.