Exploring the Wisdom and Legacy of Lingnan Medicine: Hu Zhens **Guide to Mountain Herbs** from the Republican Era

Corresponding author: Gao Weiliang, 2741560358@qq.com

DOI: 10.12201/bmr.202512.00036

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  Abstract: To deeply explore the academic value and practical significance of **Guide to Mountain Herbs** (Shan Cao Yao Zhi Nan), the representative work of Hu Zhen, an outstanding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) scholar in the Lingnan region during the Republican era, this paper employs literature analysis, comparative research, and investigative research methods to meticulously examine the books organizational structure, content characteristics, limitations, and historical imprint. The results indicate that **Guide to Mountain Herbs** innovatively records herbal knowledge categorized by human body parts and clinical syndromes/diseases through systematic classification and itemized arrangement. Furthermore, the herbs documented in the book exhibit distinctive features: a predominant focus on Lingnan herbs, nomenclature rich in Lingnan characteristics, emphasis on suitability to local conditions, prioritization of clinical practicality, integration of folk experiences, value placed on life-oriented combinations, stress on processing methods, and attention to optimal harvesting times. Additionally, the book has limitations, including regional applicability constraints, terminology differing from modern medicine, use of traditional dosage units, and occasional overstatement of therapeutic effects. These limitations remind readers that while inheriting and advancing traditional medicine, enhanced scientific validation is necessary. Looking ahead, with the continuous development of the TCM field, the authors believe that the rich knowledge and experience contained within this book will achieve broader dissemination and application.

  Key words: Lingnan; Medicinal Herbs; **Guide to Mountain Herbs**; Hu Zhen; Inheritance and Advancement

  Submit time: 12 December 2025

  Copyright: The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted biomedRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
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