Reflections on some problems in inheritance and innovation of Chinese materia medica / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as the oldest and the most complete theoretical system with the largest number of users and most abundant varieties of medicinal materials in human history, has been playing a huge role in human development and progress. Based on the author's decades of experience in herbal medicine research, the following aspects including current situation and prospects of research on compound Chinese materia medica (CMM), concept of generalized CMM and diversity, personalized diagno-treatment of TCM, and quality standardization of CMM, prevention-prior to treatment and health-maintaining sciences, key factors affecting the efficacy of CMM, and to bring CMM to gentleman level are discussed. It is expected to promote the development and modernization of TCM.