Běncǎo Méngquán 本草蒙筌
Materia Medica Bamboo-Slip for Beginners by 陳嘉謨 (Chén Jiāmó, zì Tíngcǎi 廷采, hào Yuèpéng 月朋, 1521–1603, 明)
About the work
The Běncǎo méngquán is a 12-juǎn mid-Míng pharmacological textbook compiled by Chén Jiāmó between 1556 and 1565 — a 9-year effort completed when he was 44 suì. The work integrates the Zhènglèi/Tújīng-tradition substance-by-substance entries with Jīn-Yuán pharmacological theory (Zhāng Yuánsù, Lǐ Gǎo, Wáng Hàogǔ, Zhū Zhènhēng) and Chén’s own clinical observations in Húīzhōu 徽州 (Ānhuī). It is one of the most successful pre-Gāngmù pharmacological textbooks; over 700 substances are described, with standardised entries giving 性、味、歸經、主治、修治、配伍, plus mnemonic verses, illustrations, and clinical anecdotes.
The work was widely circulated through the late Míng and Qīng; Lǐ Shízhēn 李時珍 cites it as 陳嘉謨曰 in many Gāngmù entries (KR3ec025).
Prefaces
The 漢學文典 transmitted text begins with Chén’s own preface (date 嘉靖四十四年 = 1565). He describes the project’s origin: a younger generation needed a reliable single-volume textbook to replace the unwieldy Zhènglèi. He spent nine years collating, comparing, and clarifying. The preface explicitly thanks his teacher Xú Chǔn 徐春 and his publisher Wāng Yīnglóng 汪應龍.
Abstract
Chén Jiāmó (陳嘉謨, 1521–1603), zì Tíngcǎi 廷采, hào Yuèpéng 月朋, native of Qímén 祁門 (Húīzhōu, modern Ānhuī), is one of the major mid-Míng pharmacologists. He came from a literate Húīzhōu merchant family and studied medicine under Xú Chǔn. He held no office, devoted himself to teaching and clinical practice, and lived to age 82. His other works include a Yī xué chū rù mén 醫學初入門 (lost) and a Yào xìng kǒu jué 藥性口訣 (lost).
The Méngquán’s significance is twofold:
- Pedagogical — it served as the principal Míng pharmacological textbook for students, presenting substances in a structured 5-part format (性 / 味 / 經 / 治 / 修) with rhymed mnemonic verses. It is the immediate ancestor of Wāng Áng’s 汪昂 Běncǎo bèiyào (KR3ec038).
- Bibliographic — it is a key source for Lǐ Shízhēn’s Gāngmù, contributing dozens of clinical observations and Húīzhōu-region drug uses.
CBDB does not have a confident Chén Jiāmó record. The lifedates 1521–1603 are securely attested in Húīzhōu local gazetteers.
Translations and research
- Wáng Bǐn 王彬. 1988. Běncǎo méngquán xiào diǎn 本草蒙筌校點. Renmin weisheng.
- Liào Yùqún 廖育群. 2008. Yī yuàn yáng yáng 醫院洋洋. Sanlian.
- Ūnschuld, Paul U. 1986. Medicine in China: A History of Pharmaceutics, ch. 6. UCP. — discusses Chén in late-Míng pharmacology.
- No Western-language translation.
Links
- Wikidata: not yet assigned.
- 本草蒙筌 jicheng.tw
- Kanseki DB