Published in 1856, Catalogus Medicamentorum Sinensium stands as the earliest known modern pharmacological work in existence. Compiled by the Russian scholar Alexander Tatarinov during the 19th century, this groundbreaking study systematically documented and identified the botanical origins of 495 Chinese medicinal materials procured from Beijing, supplemented with plant specimens collected in China. It represents the first application of modern scientific nomenclature, combining Latin binomial names with specified medicinal parts, for the systematic classification of Chinese medicinal materials. This research conducted a comprehensive analysis of the cataloged substances through meticulous examination of relevant literature, archival records, and reference materials. By using methods such as materia medica verification, data analysis, etc., the information of the listed drugs was verified, classified, organized, and examined, and compared with the origins recorded in modern standards or specialized works. The compendium documented 495 medicinal entries (including 33 duplicate medicinal materials), comprising 396 botanical, 35 mineral, 40 zoological, and 24 other substances. This book identified a total of 190 Chinese medicinal materials whose origin was consistent with that recorded in the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China or Chinese Materia Medica. There were 76 cases with completely different origins. Another 189 cases had their origins not fully identified, but only partial information was marked. Lastly, there were 40 cases that were either untested or could not be matched with current Chinese medicinal materials. The research results indicate that this book is the first in modern times to use Linnaean binomial nomenclature to name the origin of Chinese medicinal materials. It laid the foundation for subsequent research on the origin of Chinese medicinal materials and established the methods and annotation formats for such research. It has been subsequently adopted and referenced by subsequent TCM researchers both in China and abroad. The publication of this book can be regarded as a historical turning point in the evolution of the definition of the origin of Chinese medicinal materials from traditional to modern times. It has advanced the description of the name and reality of Chinese medicinal materials in the form of text and pictures to the definition method using modern natural classification systems and labeled with biological Latin names, which is a pioneering work. This research can provide a reference for sorting out the development process of modern research on the origin of Chinese medicinal materials.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |