Chinese Materia Medica

Dr. Liang (Ocean)

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 Part 1: General Discussion

Chapter 1: Introduction to CMM Classics in Successive

Dynasities
Chapter 2: Place of Origin and Collection of Chinese
Medicinals
Chapter 3: Processing of Chinese Medicinals
Chapter 4: Properties and Actions of Chinese Medicinals
Chapter 5: Application of Chinese Medicinals

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Section 1 Place of Origin
Genuine regional medicinals 道地药材
Genuine regional medicinals refer to those medicinals from their
original and specific areas which are of the highest quality and
have excellent clinical effects.
• chuan xiong from Sichuan Province
• ren shen from northeast China
• shan yao from Henan Province
• dang gui from Gansu Province

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Section 2 Collection
The best time for the collection is when the contents of the
active ingredients in the medicinal parts are highest.
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(1) Whole plants
• Most are collected when the plants are fully grown before
bloom, or in the early stage of bloom
• At this time, the active ingredients in stems and leaves are
highest in contents, with good quality and high yield
• Example: qing hao (sweet
wormwood)

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(2) Leaves
• Leaves are usually collected when the flower is still in bud or in
full bloom
• When the leaves are flourishing, the contents of active
ingredients in the plants are highest and the quality is the best
• Example: pi pa ye, da qing ye

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(3) Flowers and pollen
• To keep the fragrance and quality, these medicinals are always
collected when the flower is still in bud, or in the early stage of
bloom
• Example: jin yin hua

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(4) Fruits and seeds
• The best collection time for those with fruits as the medicinal
part is usually when the fruits are ripe or just before ripe
Example: gua lou and shan zha
• A few need to have their peels or fruits collected when the fruits
are not mature
Example: qing pi, wu mei
• Those with seeds as the medicinal part are usually collected
after the fruits are totally ripe
Example: yin xing, lian zi

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(4) Fruits and seeds
• For those with both whole plants and seeds as the medicinal
parts, the whole plants may be cut after the seeds are ripe, and
the seeds should be dried to store
Example: che qian zi
• For those whose seeds are subject to abscission in time of their
maturity, or easy to be scattered, the seeds should be collected
as soon as they become mature
Example: dou kou

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(5) Roots and rootstocks (rhizome)
• The best collection time is generally the
➢ second month (of the lunar year) in the early spring
➢ eighth month (of the lunar year) at the end of autumn
• The ancient people believed that in the early spring, the roots
and rootstocks of plants are still in dormant state and the new
buds do not sprout, so the nutrition substances have not yet
been consumed by the stems and leaves.

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(5) Roots and rootstocks (rhizome)
• while in the late autumn, the overground parts of most plants
stop to grow and the nutrient substances will be stored in the
roots or rootstocks, so the contents of active ingredients are
high. So the medicinals collected at these times are excellent in
quality and high in yield.
• Example: tian ma, da huang
• Exception: ban xia and yan hu suo (summer)

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(6) Barks and root cortices
• Barks of high quality are usually peeled in the spring and
summer.
• At this time, the plants are thriving and the nutrient substances
in the barks are abundant.
• On the other hand, the barks are easier to peel at that time for
the serous fluid is plentiful in the stems and branches.
• Example: huang bai, du zhong
• Exception is rou gui, which is usually collected in October, for
the rich oil makes it easy to peel the barks.

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Section 2 Collection
1. Collection of botanical medicinals
(6) Barks and root cortices
• for the root cortices, the best time of collection is late autumn
when the nutrients are mostly stored in the roots
• Example: mu dan pi, sang bai pi
• Most medicinals of this type come from arbors which take a
long growth time, so it should be avoided to cut trees to peel the
barks, which will lead to the withered trees.
• It is advised to peel vertically only one third of the barks to
protect medicinal resources.

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Section 2 Collection
2. Collection of animal medicinals
• The collection time for animal medicinal materials varies with
different species. The principle is to ensure medical effects, to
obtain easily and to protect resources.
• For example: Lu rong (pilose antler) should be collected 45 to
50 days after the Qingming Festival, for after this time it will be
keratinized.

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Section 2 Collection
3. Collection of mineral medicinals
• All over the year

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