The Historical Research Of The Formula Preparation Before The Song Dynasty

The prepraration of TCM has a long history, and contains varieties. It developed from less to more, from lower and more simple level to higher and more complicated level after many generations of doctors'discovery and summary. Also it has colorful characteristics. But the current research focuses on the reforming, not including the systematic research of the history. Nevertheless, the author's research involves all the medical books before the Song Dynasty. The research analyzes and compares the prepration and explores its development in different periods. In addition, the author made a horizontal research to sort it out before the Qin Dynasty. First of all, the origin of prescription, medical books and preparion, etc. was put to the textual research and all the traditional preparation was defined. Then, the purpose and the significance were briefly described. At last, the scope and the method were given.The development of prescription preparation before the Song Dynasty experienced the Pre-Qin, Han Dynasties, Wei, Jin and Nan Bei Dynasties, Sui and Tang Dynasties.The human society originated from the Qin and Han Dynasties during which it experienced the primitive society, the slave society and the feudal society. The level of productive forces was gradually raised. Many literatures exsiting now show the medical development at that time. Meanwhile, the preparation documented in the literature displayed the current standard. Prescriptions for 52 Bing Fang was the earliest medical book. It has 15 kinds of preparation, including mastic, decoction and powder and so on.. But the preparation was not complex and the technology was relatively rough. Mawangdui also has three medical books, one of which, Health Preservation Prescription, has 10 kinds of preparation. It consisted of the preparation that didn't emerge in Prescriptions for 52 Bing Fang. The books in the Mawangdui Tomb provided a valuable new data for the research in the Qin Dynasty. The TCM classics Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor was just famous for its acupuncture not preparation. Therefore it only involves 7 kinds of preparation. There are no creative one. But we can find decoction as the name of prescription for the first time, which layed the foundation for the future development. Wuwei Han Dai Yi Jian unearthed in the Hantanpo Tomb in Wuwei, Gansu reflected the development before the Dong Han Dynasty. There are 8 kinds of preparation in the book. The book has opened up new ways of how to use medicine in ears and nose. The book also had the earliest method of cream for oral use. Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases, written by Zhang Zhongjing, established the principle of differential treatment and the method of disease prevention and control, which played a significant role in the fonnation of a unique TCM theory and the development of TCM. The curative effect of prescription had a close relationship with the precise selection of preparation. The book has 15 kinds of preparation and most of them is for oral use. Synopsis of Golden Chamber has 8 kinds of preparation and decoction occupies the most. Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases was featured by obviousness due to illness and capitalization on the trend. All the preparation in it was beneficial for health. During this period Pandect on Diagnostics was a book that cannot be neglected. It has 25 cases of which 15 was cured. The method included acupuncture, medicine and diet. There are 7 kinds of preparation. The book has opened up new way of oral medication. The Qin and Han Dynasties are the foundation period of Chinese drugs and prescription and its academic system. The field of prescription has been greatly widened on the basis of clinical practice. The preparation has developed from natural medicine to comparatively complex one. The earliest preparation theory has made an important contribution to the future improvement.The Wei, Jin and Nan Bei Dynasty was in unsettled political condition. What's more, the science and technology was not advanced. Hence, many medical books were lost and destroyed. Most of them were adapted by the descendants. The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies written by Ge Hong was a pocket one of clinical emergency. There are 24 kinds of preparation of which nasal drop, ear drop and eye mastic, etc. occured for the first time. The book also recorded powder and this played a direct guidance role in its later development. There are also two new kinds of pill—honeyed pill and concentrated pill, which futher expanded the scope of pill's use. The earliest mastic in literature history was recorded in the book.The book's preparation achievement was great. It enriched the content of traditional preparation and promoted the development. Xiao Pin Fang by Chen Yanzhi was a famous book in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The book includes 23 kinds of preparation. The chewing preparation and eye drop emerged for the first time. At this period bo as a kind of mastic has been widely used. FengXuan Fang written by Xu Sibo has only 5 kinds of preparation of which decoction is the most.The earliest surgical book Liu Juanzi Guiyi Fang has 9 kinds of preparation most of which are mastic for external use.The book recorded the first hair washing mastic in the literature of medical history, which showed that our ancestor knew how to wash hair and care hair 1500 years ago. Ji Yan Fang written by Yao Zenghuan of the Zhou Dynasty ananlyed the preparation profile. It has 28 kinds of preparation. The first powder and tooth powder preparation were in the book. This opened up new ways of powder. Fu Xing Jue Zang-fu Yong Yao Fa Yao was a volume popular in civil society which saved the contents of long-lost ancient books. There are 8 kinds of preparation. The book has higher historical and medical value. The period had many medical books. Because of war most of them were lost. However, the preparation has new development. Eye drops, shampoo and eye mastic, etc. were first recorded in the books. The Wei, Jin and Nan Bei Dynasty showed the transtional trend. The preparation was gradually specialized, which layed the foundation for the emergence of the future specialization.Up to the Sui and Tang Dynasties the culture was prosperous. Medicine developed very quickly. During this period a large number of new medical information can be obtained. Thus the doctors began to consolidate the former achievements. The Longmen prescription was one that was on the stonewall of the Longmen Mountain's hole. The prescription was special, convinient and easy to get. It has 15 kinds of preparation one of which the olfactory was new. Also it saved the most primitive medical data and was extremely important for research. Another book was Qianjin Fang written by Sun Simiao which was the earliest clinical encyclopedia in the Tang Dynasty. The book was divided into several sections. Qianjin Yao Fang is one of them. It included 39 kinds of preparation of which hairdye mastic, shampoo and syrup, etc. were the first recorded. The occurrence of facial mastic, mask and shampoo, etc. showed the cosmetic drugs and preparation have developed to a certain level. Qianjin Yi Fang is the other one. The book added the new cream preparation. Qianjin Fang not only told the original idea and latest achievement with respect to the formula theory but also played a summaized role in the development of preparation. Waitai Miyao was the collection before the Tang Dynasty. It has 42 kinds of preparation of which decoction was the most and tea was detailed for the first time. The book reflected the characteristics of the time and had higher literature value. Liu Yuxi wrote Chuanxin Fang. But after the Yuan Dynasty it was lost. Feng Hanyong gave detailed explanation. So it was also called The Explanation of Chuanxin Fang. There are 13 kinds of parparation of which melting emerged and extended the external use of solid drugs. The Tang Dynasty had the earliest orthopedics book—Secret Recipes of Treating Wounds and Bone-setting Taught by Gelestials writthen by Lin Daoren. The book recorded 6 kinds of preparation of which cachet was new. The book had a great influence on the development of this subject in later ages. Tested Treasure in Obstetrics by Zan Yin was the earliest and extant monograph on obstetrics in China. There are 12 kinds of preparation. Most of them were specilized and layed a solid foundation for the future development. Luxin Jing was the earliest extant pediatrics book. It had 7 kinds of preparation which were featured by more pills and powder and methods to prescribe. Dunhuang medical data was well known at that time. There are 35 knids of prepararion of which bixi and yaozao were new and differed from the previous ones In Japan we can find the most ancient book Yixin Fang by Danpo Kanglai. Most of the data came from the medical books in or before the Tang Dynasty. It had the reference value for the research of our country. The book inluded 35 kinds of preparation of which we can see no innovation.In the Sui and Tang Dynasties the preparation was rich and the development was stable. There were many new kinds of preparation occurring increasingly such as syrup, shampoo and hair dye mastic and so on. In particular Qianjin Fang and Waitai Miyao were the most outstanding. The ways of applying preparation were various. The period was a transitional one and had its unique place in the medical history.Then let's come to the developing historical research of main prepation before the Song Dynasty. The research entails decoction, pill, mastic and powder.Powder refers to a preparation of drugs ground into dry powder and well mixed. There are two types, the powder for oral administration and the powder for external application. It is characterized by being easily absorbed, economical in administration, and liable to keep the effectiveness. The first record was in Prescriptions for 52 Bing Fang. Zhang Zhongjing in the Han Dynasty was the first one to use the name of powder. Famous Physicians Record by Tao Hongjing put forward the specific requirements of its method and specification. In the Tang Dynasty there was innovation and service in clinic.Decoction refers to the medicinal solution obtained by boiling for some time, the selected drugs in water and then removing the drugs. Miraculous Pivot was found it the name of preparation in the formula for the first time. There were more in Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases. While zhu san as the name of preparation emerged in Qianjin Fang for the first time. Entering into the Tang Dynasty there were more decoction and the technology was more standard. Hence, the development during this period guided the later one.Pill is a solid form prepared by grinding drugs into fine powder and mixing it with excipients such as honey, water, rice paste, flour paste, wine, vineger, drug juice, etc. It is characterized by being absorbed slowly, thus prolonging the therapeutic effect, being small in size, and convenient to be taken and stored. It is one of the commoly used form in the TCM clinical practices. Health Preservation Prescription recorded the first honeyed pill in the extant literature. In Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor pill just occurred as the name of preparation. Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases had the first flour and water paste pill. The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies recorded honey-waxed and concentrated pills. Developed to the Tang Dynasty there had been a variety of pills.Mastic is a kind of viscous semisolid pasty medicine which can for oral administration and for external application. Prescriptions for 52 Bing Fang had more ointment, paste and cream, etc. The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies detailed the first plaster in the medical history in China. The mastic for external application in Liu Juanzi Guiyi Fang occupied more than 50%. And the Tang Dynasty had more mature technology. Qianjin Fang and Waitai Miyao were good examples.The nature of the drug decides the preparation of the formula. And the variety of the disease is the key factor of how to choose preparation. Thus the suitable preparation ensures the clinical effect. The development of the preparation is influenced by many elements of which the social culture technology is a great one. Throughout the development before the Song Dynasty there is the preparation reform and new preparation. But the research of modern Chinese medicine preparation is closely related to the theory of zang-fu viscera, meridian and collateral and qi and blood, etc.From the above discussion we can conclude that there are 23 kinds of preparation in the Pre-Qin, Han Dynasties and 32 kinds of preparation in The Wei, Jin and Nan Bei Dynasty of which 12 ones were news. The Sui and Tang Dynasties detailed 51 kinds of preparation of which 16 ones were new. Of all the preparation powder, pill, mastic and decoction occupied the first four places. And each preparation had its unique origin and developing process. What's more, various factors influenced its development.In the research there have creative points. It is the first time that the literature about the formula has been sorted out and analyzed. Part of the traditional preparation was defined for the first time. The research achievements of some contemporary scholars has been corrected. To sum up, the research involves a majority of preparation before the Song Dynasty. It combines the internal history and external history. The author hopes that the dissertation can be the reference for the future historical research and the prescription development.