Shennong Ben Cao Jing

Overview

The Shennong Ben Cao Jing (神农本草经), also known as "Ben Cao Jing" (本草经) or "The Classic of Herbal Medicine," is the earliest known Chinese pharmacopoeia and one of the foundational texts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Despite its attribution to the mythical emperor Shennong, historical evidence suggests it was compiled during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), likely between the 1st century BCE and 2nd century CE. The work systematically organized medicinal knowledge of the time, documenting 365 herbal substances and establishing theoretical frameworks that continue to influence Chinese medicine today.

History

The origins of the Shennong Ben Cao Jing are shrouded in myth and scholarly debate. Early attributions to Shennong, a legendary emperor credited with tasting hundreds of herbs to identify their medicinal properties, began as early as the Western Han Dynasty. The Huainanzi (《淮南子·修务训》) from the 2nd century BCE mentions Shennong tasting herbs and encountering poisons, establishing this connection.

However, modern scholarship challenges this attribution. Several factors suggest a later origin:

1. The term "ben cao" (本草) for medicinal works first appeared in the Book of Han (《汉书·楼护传》) from the Western Han, while earlier works like the Records of the Grand Historian referred to similar texts as "lun yao" (药论).

2. The text includes several foreign substances that could only have entered China after Zhang Qian's diplomatic missions to the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty, such as yiyi ren (coix seed), jungui (cassia bark), huma (sesame), and putao (grape).

3. The book mentions Han Dynasty place names and exhibits stylistic characteristics typical of Han scholarship.

The original text is lost, and current versions are reconstructions from later works that quoted it, primarily from the Zheng Lei Ben Cao (《证类本草》) and Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》). Major reconstructions include:

• Lu Fu's Shennong Ben Cao (1602-1616)
• Sun Xingyan and Sun Fengyi's Shennong Ben Cao Jing (1799)
• Gu Guangguang's Shennong Ben Cao Jing (1844)
• Mori Tadaomi's Shennong Ben Cao (1854)

Key Information

Cultural Significance

The Shennong Ben Cao Jing holds a position of immense cultural and historical significance in Chinese medicine and pharmacology. As the first systematic compilation of medicinal knowledge, it established theoretical frameworks that have guided Chinese medical practice for nearly two millennia.

The work introduced several enduring concepts:

1. Three-Tier Classification System: The 365 medicines are divided into three categories:
2. Superior medicines (上品): 120 substances that are generally non-toxic and suitable for long-term use to support life and harmonize with heaven (天). Examples include ginseng (人参), licorice (甘草), and rehmannia root (地黄).
3. Medium medicines (中品): 120 substances that may be non-toxic or toxic, used to nurture human nature and harmonize with humanity (人). Examples include lily bulb (百合), angelica (当归), and ephedra (麻黄).

4. Inferior medicines (下品): 125 substances that are often toxic, used to treat diseases and harmonize with earth (地). Examples include rhubarb (大黄), aconite (乌头), and kansui root (甘遂).

5. Jun Chen Zuo Shi (君臣佐使): This principle borrows from the hierarchical structure of ancient Chinese society to describe the roles of different medicines in a formula:

6. "Jun" (君, sovereign/ruler): The primary medicine addressing the main pathology
7. "Chen" (臣, minister): Supporting medicines that enhance the effect of the jun
8. "Zuo" (佐, assistant): Medicines that address secondary symptoms or moderate side effects

9. "Shi" (使, envoy): Medicines that guide other medicines to specific areas or harmonize the formula

10. Qi Qing He He (七情和合): This theory describes seven possible relationships between medicines when combined:

11. Single use (单行)
12. Mutual enhancement (相须)
13. Mutual assistance (相使)
14. Mutual restraint (相畏)
15. Mutual antagonism (相恶)
16. Incompatibility (相反)
17. Detoxification (相杀)

These principles established a sophisticated understanding of herbal combinations that remains fundamental to Chinese pharmacology.

Modern Status

Today, the Shennong Ben Cao Jing is studied both for its historical significance and its continuing relevance to traditional Chinese medicine. Many of the medicinal substances it documented remain in clinical use, with modern research confirming their efficacy as described in the ancient text.

In recent years, the work has gained international attention through translation efforts. In August 2015, the Foreign Languages Press published Quan Tu Shennong Ben Cao Jing with English and French translations. The translators, the André couple, are sinology experts who provided comparative botanical references, linking Chinese medicinal plants to their European counterparts and including multilingual indices.

Modern scholarship continues to analyze the text through multiple perspectives:

1. Historical Research: Examining the text's compilation history and relationship to other classical medical works
2. Pharmacological Studies: Validating the medicinal properties described in the text through scientific analysis
3. Linguistic Analysis: Studying the terminology and its evolution in Chinese medical literature
4. Comparative Medicine: Comparing the Chinese medicinal system with other traditional pharmacopoeias

Despite its historical limitations, the Shennong Ben Cao Jing remains a vital resource for understanding the theoretical foundations of Chinese medicine and continues to inform contemporary practice and research.

References

1. Unschuld, P. U. (2003). Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical Text. University of California Press.

2. Lu, G. D., & Needham, J. (2000). Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 6: Biology and Biological Technology, Part 6: Medicine. Cambridge University Press.

3. Bensky, D., Clavey, S., & Stöger, E. (2011). Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (3rd ed.). Eastland Press.

4. Li, Y. (2015). Shennong Ben Cao Jing: The Classic of Herbal Medicine. Foreign Languages Press.