Nanwuweizi( Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus) and Wuweizi( Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus) have long-term history of use as common traditional Chinese medicines since the Eastern Han Dynasty( AD.25-220 year).However their information are always confused in ancient literature because they were both used as " Wuweizi". Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi are faced with problems such as confused distribution of producing areas,unclear source plants and efficacy characteristics,which limit modern resource development and application. Based on ancient literatures of materia medica,this study conducted a systematic review from several aspects,i.e. the name,distribution of producing areas,source plants,efficacy characteristics and processing of the two medicines in ancient time. This study clarified five main aspects,as following,ancient production areas and corresponding modern distribution areas; source plants used for medicinal purposes in ancient time; application period and application scope; efficacy characteristics in clinical application;processing method. This study provides a reference for evaluating the quality and for their clinical application and reasonable development of Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Herbal Medicine/history* ; History, Ancient ; Materia Medica ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; Schisandra

In this paper,the name,origin,producing area,harvesting and processing changes of Paeonia lactiflora used in classical prescriptions were studied by textual research of herbal medicine and field investigation. Chinese herbaceous peony wasn' t distinguished before the Northern and Southern Dynasties; Tao Hongjing proposed that there were two kinds of P. lactiflora in the Northern and Southern Dynasties,but they were not clearly defined; since the Song and Yuan Dynasties,the method of distinguishing P. lactiflora by flower color and root color was proposed. In the Ming Dynasty,people put forward the criteria similar to modern ones,that is,to divide red peony and white peony by means of harvesting and processing,and to continue for future generations. Since modern times,different growth patterns and processing methods have been used to classify red peony and white peony. Paeoniae Radix Alba has gradually formed three major cultivation genuine producing areas: Hangzhou,Sichuan and Bozhou,while Paeoniae Radix Rubra in modern times has praised the wild medicinal materials produced in Inner Mongolia,Toronto and other places. According to textual research,Paeoniae Radix Alba was highly praised in Song Dynasty. When people in Song Dynasty revised the previous literature,they changed " Shaoyao" into " Baishao" and continued to use Paeoniae Radix Alba for future generations. Therefore,the origin of P. lactiflora in classical prescriptions before the Song Dynasty should be determined by the combination of prescription function and prescription meaning evolution; After the Song Dynasty,the origins of " Red Paeonia Root" and " White Paeonia Root" in prescriptions are basically the same as those in today's prescriptions,which should be recorded in ancient prescriptions. For the medicinal flavor of " Paeonia Root" recorded in prescriptions after the Song Dynasty,the origins can be determined by functional domination and the evolution of prescriptions.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; History, 15th Century ; History, 16th Century ; History, 17th Century ; History, Medieval ; Humans ; Paeonia ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal

To clarify the change and development of original plants of " Manjingzi"( Viticis Fructus),a traditional Chinese medicine,we investigated Vitex species on the ancient Chinese herbal texts. The study concluded that the Vitex trifolia and V. trifolia var.simplicifolia included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia( 2015 edition) are only two sources of ancient medicinal Viticis Fructus. There are many sources of vines used in ancient times,which are not fixed and unified. The early use of Viticis Fructus is likely to be the V. quinate var. quinata,V. negundo var. cannabifolia and V. negundo var. negundo. From the Tang Dynasty,the use of V. trifolia var. simplicifolia has been appeared. Until Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty,the V. trifolia has been used as a source of medicine for the Viticis Fructus,but even so,the source of medicinal plants of Viticis Fructus has not been unified. We suggested V. trifolia var. simplicifolia be used as mainly species for " Manjingzi" due to its widely used in ancient China.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Fruit ; History, 15th Century ; History, Medieval ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pharmacopoeias as Topic ; Plants, Medicinal ; Vitex

Forsythiae Fructus( Lianqiao) is classed from near-mature fruit and hyper-mature fruit,which are named as Qingqiao and Laoqiao,respectively. This article was based on the different views of which was better,Qingqiao or Laoqiao. Acorrding to the naming,varieties,habitat,harvesting and processing,used parts,medicinal properties and clinical efficacy,the herbalogical study was carried out. The results showed that Lianqiao had been sourced from the areial part of Hypericum ascyron and H. erectum of Clusiaceae before Tang Dynasty. Beside the former,and the fruit of Forsythia suspensa of Oleaceae was newly used as Lianqiao during the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty. The later had been the only origin of Lianqiao since the Song Dynasty. With the change of the medicinal varieties,the habitats of Lianqiao has also changed. The varieties of Clusiaceae were mainly produced in the Yellow River Basin from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. After the Song Dynasty,they were produced in the south of the Yangtze River. The variety of Oleaceae was mainly produced in Shanxi,Henan,Shandong,Shaanxi,and northern Sichuan from the Tang and Song Dynasties. Currently,Shanxi and Henan have the largest output. Traditionally,there were two commercial varieties including Qingqiao and Laoqiao of Lianqiao based on the harvesting time. In traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) theory,Lianqiao removes evil heat and relieves toxicity,removes swelling and resolves enlarged nodes. Accroding to the effects of Lianqiao,Qingqiao was considered to be better than Laoqiao in TCM clinic. The modern research on main medicinal constituents and pharmacodynamic effects also confirmed the above mentioned facts. This paper can provide literature support for the rationalities of Qingqiao's mainstream medication and assay standard of Lianqiao in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Forsythia/classification* ; Fruit ; History, 15th Century ; History, Ancient ; History, Medieval ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on the registration of proprietary Chinese medicines (PCMs) in China over the past century by examining published literature and historical data. We will examine this evolving administrative practice for PCMs registration in China, which is divided to the following five stages: (1) initial measures (1915-1948); (2) early development (1949-1965); (3) provincial approval and trial implementation of the "approval number" system (1966-1984); (4) legislation and cleanup (1985-1999); and (5) centralized national approval (2000 until now), offering a panoramic view on the characteristics of PCMs registration management in China.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; history ; Government Regulation ; history ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; Phytotherapy ; history

In order to improve the clinical efficacy of the umbilicus fumigation method, the ancient literature with the heat control of umbilicus fumigation method involved is collected extensively and analyzed systematically, and the heat control, precautions and contraindications of this method are discussed. In association with the cases and the present clinical experience, the main factors to the heat control are introduced, such as preparation of doughnuts, filling quantity, size of moxa cone and numbers of moxa cones so that the clinical application of the umbilicus fumigation method can be promoted and enhanced.
Biomedical Research ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Fumigation ; History, Ancient ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; methods ; Umbilicus ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo provide a reference for the development and utilization of Dai medicine by investigate the present situation and existing problems of traditional Dai medicine.

METHODCombined with the previous relevant investigations and literature in the field, the key and the development direction of traditional Dai medicine were analyzed.

RESULTThe textual research, history, species, distribution, endangered resources, protection status etc. were elaborated and the key strategy of further investigation was expounded.

CONCLUSIONDai medicine resources should strengthen the basic research, such as the protection of traditional knowledge, the textual research, quality standard, chemical composition, biological activity, exploration of medicinal resources, especially monographic study on protection of major endangered medicinal resources should be intensified, which will be rise the level of development and utilization of Dai medicine resources.

China ; ethnology ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; history ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; history ; pharmacology ; History, 20th Century ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development

Wuyi is one of the Chinese medicine recorded in Shennong's Herbal Classic and many other herbal books during the long history period. Up to now, Wuyi is still an important medicine used for insecticidal and removing food retention. Recent researches indicated that Wuyi also had the function of anti-malaria and treating herpetic simplex keratitis. Therefore, Wuyi had notable value on clinic and development of new medicine. The herbalogical textual research on Wuyi was conducted through investigation of the literature of materia medica during the long historical period from Han Dynasty. It was demonstrated by this work that the original plants of Wuyi include Ulmus macrocarpa Hance and Hemiptelea davidii (Hance) Planch, in which, U. macrocarpa was the quality specie. U. pumila was the false specie which cause confusing. The medicine Wuyi was the processed product made from the nutlet of the plants through fermentation with other additive agents.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Herbals as Topic ; history ; History, Ancient ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification

By studying the varieties of peony and analyzing the prescription of Huangqin decoction, the authors explored the differences between Paeoniae Radix Alba and Radix Paeoniae Rubra in varieties, origin, processing method and clinical efficacy and compare their efficacies to define Paeoniae Radix Alba or Paeoniae Radix Rubra in Huangqin decoction recorded in Treatise on Febrile Diseases. In the study, the authors clarified the development and change of the variety in various historical periods according to the earliest ancient herbal book recording the variety and the development sequence of main herbs, and made clear the relations between Paeoniae Radix Alba and Paeoniae Radix Rubra. The modern application of Paeoniae Radix Alba started in the Song Dynasty. Although it was processed in different ways from Paeoniae radix Rubra, they shared the same original plant varieties. On the basis of the historical origin, botanical origin, producing place and processing method, the authors made clear the evolvement of peony varieties, discussed and analyzed the developments and changes for the combined to the separate administration of Paeoniae Radix Alba and Paeoniae Radix Rubra and defined the peony variety in Huangqin decoction. Through the textual research on ancient herbal books, the authors confirmed that more than 2 000 years ago, Paeoniae Radix Alba didn't appear when Treatise on Febrile Diseases was written. According to the records in Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians that "its roots were collected and dried in February and August", it was inferred that the use of Paeoniae Radix Rubra conformed to the historical facts.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; history ; History, Ancient ; Medicine in Literature ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

The achievement of Qimin Yaoshu in the area of herbalogical textual research was illustrated in this paper. Qimin Yaoshu quoted and keeped many contents from ancient agriculture books related in herbalogical literature. It also recorded the information of lots of tropical and subtropical plants. The author bringed forwarded many experiences indistinguishing plants and clarified some long last confused or wrong opinions. The studying philosophy and methods of the authors gave us much enlightenment in our herbalogical textual research. It should be taken into account when the herbalogical textual research was carried out.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Herbals as Topic ; history ; History, Ancient ; Medicine in Literature ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification