Materia Medica is a book devoted to drugs in ancient China.

Materia Medica is a book devoted to drugs in ancient China. The so-called materia medica is synonymous with Chinese herbal medicines. There are many kinds of Chinese herbal medicines, such as birds, animals, insects, fish, gold, stone, grass and wood, many of which can be used as medicine, among which herbs account for the majority, so Chinese herbal medicines are called materia medica, and books introducing Chinese herbal medicines are called materia medica. The earliest medical book in China is Shennong's Herbal Classic in Han Dynasty, which summarizes the research achievements of ancient China before Qin and Han Dynasties and records 365 kinds of drugs. Since then, in the 1000 years of the Ming Dynasty, materia medica has developed greatly, and the drugs that people can treat diseases have gradually increased and the classification has become increasingly strict.