Chinese herbal medicine is the oldest form on alternative medicine in the world. Written records date Chinese herbal medicine back over 2,000 years, although in actuality it is believed to be more than that. The earliest forms of Chinese herbal medicine clearly relied more on spiritual thinking as opposed to medically proven research. However, due to the incredible success of these methods, they were passed down from generation to generation.

Over the years, the development of Chinese herbal medicine has increased dramatically. Scholars and physicians have been able to use previously generated formulas and improved upon them to carry an even greater effect. Thus, many of the ancient formulas created during the dynasties are still used today (with variations), not only by the Chinese but in societies all over the world.

Hua Tuo
(110 - 207 AD)

Hua Tuo is considered to be the first famous Chinese surgeon and inventor of anesthesia. He was one of the first in history to utilize herbal medicine in his remedies. In addition, he is renowned for creating remedies using simple formulas by mixing only a few herbs.

Zhang Zhong Jing was the most famous of the ancient herbal doctors. He was known for his book “Shang Han Za Bing Lun”, which contained more than 100 herbal formulas. Due to the amount of new information he discovered, his work would become a cornerstone in history, repeatedly analyzed by the later generations.

Tao Hong Jing's greatest contribution was his revision of “Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing”. He added more than 350 new herbs to this catalog, bringing the total to more than 730. He then created categories of the new herbs that he discovered into his own work, “Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu.” This piece of work in particular would have an incredible influence on the later generations.

Li Shi Zhen was a renowned naturalist who created “Ben Cao Gang Mu.” It was a four-decade project in which he searched through the immense history of Chinese herbs and classified the ones that he had found to be reliable and true. Officially, it contains 1892 herbs, classified in 6 sections, 52 scrolls, and 60 categories.