Medical and Humanistic Traits of Folk Proved Prescriptions: A Case of Shen Cha Zheng Ji Yan Fang

Abstract: During the Republic of China, the Shanxi government invested substantial human and material resources to compile and publish Shen Cha Zheng Ji Yan Fang (《审查征集验方》 Inspection of the Collection of TCM Proven Prescriptions ), the first official compilation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) folk proven prescriptions in modern China. Taking this book as the research object, this study explored its inherent medical and humanistic traits, and found that most folk proven prescriptions featured concise formulations, which were significantly different from classical TCM formulas. The average dosage of some medicinal materials exceeded the upper limit stipulated in the current pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. For the sake of easy use, folk proven prescriptions mostly adopted preparation methods such as pulverizing into powder and making into pills. In the context of folk medicinal material shortage or emergency, many medicine-food homologous items, condiments and daily necessities were also incorporated into the prescriptions. The study revealed that though the book involved a wide variety of medicinal materials, the high-frequency used ones were still consistent with those of TCM. Cluster analysis of different departments based on shared medicinal materials also indicated that folk proven prescriptions followed the traditional theories and treatment principles of TCM and were not divorced from the mainstream TCM system. The scope of treatments covered in the book indirectly reflected the social health characteristics of modern China, such as the frequent occurrence of infectious diseases and the widespread malnutrition of the people. Folk proven prescriptions verified to be effective through long-term and extensive practice also provided targeted references for the research and development of modern medicines.