Chapter 30 Records in the sixth section "Compendium of Materia Medica"

Compared with the Tang Dynasty, the medical exchanges between China and India showed different characteristics in the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties: In terms of medical theory, the medical principles of ancient India were basically integrated and digested by Chinese medicine in the Song Dynasty, and few people mentioned them in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.In terms of drugs, exchanges during this period were more frequent and possibly more substantial.The main reason for this is the development of maritime traffic and trade, which enables the bulk flow of medicines between China and India. Both Volume 12 and Volume 131 of "Yuan History" have records of medicines donated by India. Volume 326 of "History of the Ming Dynasty" lists the "tributes" of the Gela Kingdom, including frankincense, cooked incense, black incense, hemp rattan incense, Wutai mud, rattan jelly, and rough yellow.According to "Western Fan Guozhi" and "Xingcha Shenglan" and other books, Indians were particularly fond of Chinese musk at that time, and China had a musk trade with the locals.

Here is a special mention. Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty is the most famous medicine book in Chinese history, which has made important contributions to the development of Chinese medicine and botany in my country.This book has 52 volumes, more than 1.9 million words, contains 1,892 kinds of medicines, 11,096 prescriptions, and more than 1,100 drawings.In the book, based on the records in ancient books and her own experience, Li Shizhen gave a detailed introduction to the names, origins, smells, forms, cultivation, collection, and processing of various medicines, and corrected the predecessors' opinions through rigorous textual research. some mistakes.In the book, he introduced and researched many medicines from India, collected Buddhist books widely, and added Sanskrit translation names for many of them, which is very commendable.Therefore, this book also brings together valuable historical materials on the cultural exchanges between China and India in medicine.But it needs to be explained that many of the medicines from India listed by Li Shizhen in the book came from before the Ming Dynasty, and some related ancient books have been lost, which makes his work even more significant.Here are a few specific examples.

For example, "Compendium of Materia Medica · Stone Department" volume - "Guangming Salt" writes: ""Wu Lu" cloud: Tianzhu has Xintao water, which tastes sweet, and there is rock salt under it, which is as white as crystal." In "Xiaoshi" The article reads: "Sheng Xuanzi's "Fu Mercury Map" says: "Liquid stones produce Wuchang (a country in northwest India)." Another example is the "Compendium of Materia Medica" volume one or two "curculigo" article, saying that curculigo is also known as salsify ginseng. The prescription was presented to Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, so it is called Brahman Ginseng in Jiangnan today." "The song said: "Continued Letters" written by Wang Yan, the governor of Junzhou in the Five Dynasties, was compiled by the Brahmin monks in the Western Regions. It is prevalent. It is said that five labors and seven injuries can improve eyesight and muscle strength, and it can be repaired after being announced. It is said that ten catties of milk stones are not as good as one catty of curculigo, which shows its power. This is passed down by Taoists in the Western Regions. The obedience was effective, but the prescription was forbidden at that time and was not passed on. During the chaos of Tianbao, the prescription was scattered, and the Shangdu monk Bukong Sanzang got this prescription, and passed it on to Situ Li Mian, Shangshu Lu Sigong, Qihang Qihang, and Zhang Jianfeng. Obey it, everyone will be able to do it.”

Another example is "Compendium of Materia Medica Kibe" Volume 35 "Hali Le", saying that it is also known as Myrobalan, "Sanskrit said that the gods are coming." "The "Golden Light Sutra·Liu Shui Elder's Medicine for Eliminating Diseases" says: 'Prescribe medicine for fever, take Herilera'." Similarly, for tulips, wrinkled patchouli, jasmine, oatmeal, Datura, Baiyaozi, Tianzhu dried ginger, Anluo fruit, Tianzhugui, agarwood, sandalwood, smoked land incense, styrax, dipterocarp, ferulicum, etc. , with corresponding annotations and explanations.There are many similar examples, which cannot be listed here.

In short, the contribution to the cultural exchange between China and India in medicine is mainly manifested in the following two points: 1. It draws on the relevant records of the predecessors, and gives a summary and dialectics. Although there are sometimes far-fetched or even misunderstandings, most of them are correct Yes, it is well-founded and reasonable.Its detailed records of Indian medicines and its extensive quotations are better than any similar books in the past dynasties.2. It collected some prescriptions imported from India, and introduced and evaluated their production and efficacy, indicating that these prescriptions were still used by doctors at that time.However, some prescriptions containing Indian medicines can prove that some Indian prescriptions had been Sinicized and integrated into Chinese medicine at that time.This is the inevitable result of the exchanges between the two cultures.