一、《神农本草》三卷，三百六十种，分上、中、下三品。梁陶弘景增药一倍，随品附
入。唐、宋重修，各有增附，或并或退，品目虽存，旧额淆混，义意俱失。今通列一十六部
为纲，六十类为目，各以类从。三品书名，俱注各药之下，一览可知，免寻索也。
一、旧本玉、石、水、土混同，诸虫、鳞、介不别，或虫入木部，或木入草部。今各列
为部，首以水、火，次之以土，水、火为万物之先，土为万物母也。次之以金、石，从土也。
次之以草、谷、菜、果、木，从微至巨也。次之以服、器，从草、木也。次之以虫、鳞、介
、禽、兽，终之以人，从贱至贵也。
一、药有数名，今古不同。但标正名为纲，余皆附于释名之下，正始也。仍注各本草名
目，纪原也。
一、唐、宋增入药品，或一物再出、三出，或二物、三物混注，今俱考正，分别归并，
但标其纲，而附列其目。如标龙为纲，而齿、角、骨、脑、胎、涎皆列为目；标粱为纲，而
赤、黄粱米皆列为目之类。
一、诸品首以释名，正名也；次以集解，解其出产、形状、采取也；次以辨疑、正误，
辨其可疑，正其谬误也；次以修治，谨炮炙也；次以气味，明性也；次以主治，录功也；次
以发明，疏义也；次以附方，着用也；或欲去方，是有体无用矣（旧本附方二千九百三十五，
今增八千一百六十一）。
一、唐、宋以朱墨圈盖分别古今，经久讹谬。今既板刻，但直书诸家本草名目于药名、
主治之下，便览也。
一、诸家本草，重复者删去，疑误者辨正，采其精粹，各以人名，书于诸款之下，不没
其实，且是非有归也。
一、诸物有相类而无功用宜参考者，或有功用而人卒未识者，俱附录之。无可附者，附
于各部之末。盖有隐于古而显于今者，如莎根即香附子，陶氏不识而今则盛行；辟虺雷，昔
人罕言而今充方物之类，虽冷僻，不可遗也。
一、唐、宋本所无，金、元、我明诸医所用者，增入三十九种。时珍续补三百七十四
种。虽曰医家药品，其考释性理，实吾儒格物之学，可裨《尔雅》、《诗疏》之缺。
一、旧本序例重繁，今止取神农为正，而旁采《别录》诸家附于下，益以张、李诸家
用药之例。
一、古本百病主治药，略而不切。王氏《集要》、祝氏《证治》，亦约而不纯。今分病原
列之，以便施用，虽繁不紊也。
一、神农旧目及宋本总目，附于例后，存古也。
一、《神农本草经》共三卷，收录药物三百六十种，分为上、中、下三品。梁代陶弘景增加的药物数量翻倍，并随原品级附入其中。唐代、宋代重修本草时，各有增补和附注，有的合并，有的删退，虽然“三品”的名称保留下来，但原有的条目混乱混杂，其义理含义都已丧失。现在统一划分为十六部作为纲，六十类作为目，各类药物依类别归从。三品的书名，都标注在每种药物之下，一目了然，免去了搜寻查找的麻烦。
二、旧版本草中，玉、石、水、土混杂不分，各种虫、鳞（鱼类）、介（甲壳类）动物也不加区分，有的虫子编入木部，有的草木编入草部。现在将它们各自列为独立的部，首先列出水、火部，其次列出土部，因为水和火是万物的先导，土是万物的母亲。其次列入金、石部，这是遵循从土而出的道理。其次列出草、谷、菜、果、木部，这是遵循从微小到巨大的顺序。其次列出服（服饰）、器（器具）部，这是遵循从草木取材的道理。其次列出虫、鳞、介、禽、兽部，最后列到人部，这是遵循从低贱到高贵的顺序。
三、药物往往有多个名称，古今不同。现在只标出正名作为纲，其余别名都附在“释名”项下，以端正名称本源。同时注明各本草书中的名称，以记录药物的来源。
四、唐代、宋代增入的药物，有的同一物出现两次、三次，有的两种、三种药物混注在一起，现在都考证校正，分别归并，只标出其纲目，而将细目附列出来。例如以“龙”为纲，而龙齿、龙角、龙骨、龙脑、龙胎、龙涎都列为目；以“粱”为纲，而赤粱米、黄粱米都列为目之类。
五、各种药物条目首先以“释名”开头，以端正名称；其次以“集解”，解释药物的产地、形状、采收方法；其次以“辨疑”、“正误”，辨别其中的可疑之处，纠正其中的谬误；其次以“修治”，谨慎地记载炮制加工方法；其次以“气味”，阐明药性；其次以“主治”，记录功效；其次以“发明”，疏解义理；其次以“附方”，应用处方；如果想去掉方剂，那就是只有本体而没有用处了（旧本附有方剂二千九百三十五首，现在增加了八千一百六十一首）。
六、唐代、宋代用朱墨圈盖来区分古今药物，导致经久流传后产生讹误谬误。现在既然采用雕版印刷，就直接在各家本草名称和主治内容下直书诸家本草名目，以便阅览。
七、各家本草书中重复的内容予以删除，有疑惑错误的予以辨正，采录其精粹部分，并在各项下注明人名，不埋没事实真相，且是非对错有了归属。
八、各种物品中有相似但功用宜参考比较的，或有功用但人们尚未认识的，都附录在后面。没有可附录的，就附在各部的末尾。大概有些在古代隐晦而在现代显明的，如莎草根即香附子，陶弘景不认识而现在则广泛流行；辟虺雷，过去人们很少提及而现在成为方物之一。虽然冷僻，不可遗漏。
九、唐代、宋代本草中没有，而金代、元代以及我明代医生所使用的药物，增入三十九种。李时珍续补三百七十四种。虽然说是医家的药品，但其考释性理，实在是儒家格物致知的学问，可以弥补《尔雅》、《诗经毛传》等典籍的缺失。
十、旧本的序例重复繁琐，现在只取《神农本草经》为正统，而旁采《名医别录》及诸家附在下面，并增加张元素、李东垣等医家的用药体例。
十一、古本关于百病主治药的记载，简略而不贴切。王好古的《此事难知》（注：此处原文指王氏《集要》，通常指《泰定养生主论》或相关著作，按字面译）、祝穆的《证治准绳》（注：原文祝氏《证治》，可能指祝穆《事文类聚》或相关医案，按字面译），也简约而不纯粹。现在分门别类列出病因，以便于施用，虽然繁杂但不乱。
十二、《神农本草经》旧目录及宋代本草总目录，附在凡例之后，以保存古籍原貌。
1. *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) consists of three volumes, recording 360 medicinal substances, divided into three grades: Superior (Shangpin), Middle (Zhongpin), and Inferior (Xiapin). Tao Hongjing of the Liang Dynasty doubled the number of drugs and appended them according to their respective grades. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, revised editions added supplements and annotations; some were merged, others removed. Although the "Three Grades" nomenclature was retained, the original entries became confused and mixed, losing their original meaning and intent. Now, all are systematically categorized into sixteen Departments (Bu) as the main framework (Gang) and sixty Categories (Lei) as sub-items (Mu), with each drug grouped by category. The names of the Three Grades are annotated under each drug for easy reference, eliminating the need for tedious searching.
2. In older editions, Jade, Stone, Water, and Earth were mixed together; various insects, fish (Lin), and shelled animals (Jie) were not distinguished, with some insects placed in the Wood Department or plants in the Grass Department. Now, each is listed as a separate Department. The order begins with Water and Fire, followed by Earth, because Water and Fire are the precursors of all things, and Earth is the mother of all things. Next come Metal and Stone, following from Earth. Then follow Grass, Grain, Vegetable, Fruit, and Wood, proceeding from the minute to the massive. Next are Clothing and Utensils, derived from Grass and Wood. Then come Insects, Fish, Shelled Animals, Birds, and Beasts, ending with Humans, progressing from the lowly to the noble.
3. Medicinal substances often have multiple names that differ between ancient and modern times. Here, only the correct name is marked as the main heading (Gang), while other aliases are attached under the section "Explanation of Names" (Shiming) to establish the origin. Additionally, names from various Bencao texts are noted to record the provenance.
4. Drugs added in the Tang and Song dynasties sometimes appeared twice or thrice under different names, or two or three distinct substances were conflated. These have now been verified, corrected, and consolidated. Only the main headings are marked, with sub-items listed beneath. For example, "Dragon" (Long) is the main heading, while Dragon Tooth (Longchi), Dragon Horn (Longjiao), Dragon Bone (Longgu), Dragon Brain (Longnao), Dragon Fetus (Longtai), and Dragon Saliva (Longxian) are listed as sub-items; similarly, "Millet" (Liang) is the main heading, with Red Millet (Chiliang) and Yellow Millet (Huangliang) listed as sub-items.
5. Each entry begins with "Explanation of Names" (Shiming) to clarify terminology; followed by "Collected Explanations" (Jijie) detailing origin, morphology, and harvesting methods; then "Doubts Resolved" (Banyi) and "Errors Corrected" (Zhengwu) to address ambiguities and rectify mistakes; then "Processing" (Xiuzhi) carefully describing preparation techniques; then "Flavor and Nature" (Qiwei) clarifying properties; then "Indications" (Zhuzhi) recording therapeutic effects; then "Elucidation" (Faming) interpreting principles; and finally "Attached Prescriptions" (Fufang) providing clinical applications. Removing prescriptions would imply having substance without utility (Old editions contained 2,935 prescriptions; this edition adds 8,161 new ones).
6. Tang and Song editions used vermilion and black ink circles to distinguish ancient from modern content, leading to long-standing errors. Since this edition uses woodblock printing, the names of various Bencao authorities are directly recorded under the drug names and indications for convenient reading.
7. Repetitive content from various Bencao texts has been deleted; doubtful or erroneous information has been clarified and corrected. Only the essence is retained, with authorship attributed to each item to preserve factual accuracy and assign credit or blame appropriately.
8. Substances that are similar but require comparative analysis of efficacy, or those with known efficacy yet unrecognized by people, are appended. If no suitable place exists, they are attached at the end of their respective departments. Some items obscure in antiquity are clear today, such as Cyperi Rhizoma (Shaogen/Xiangfuzi), which Tao Hongjing did not recognize but is now widely used; or Bihuile, rarely mentioned in the past but now common in formulas. Though obscure, none should be omitted.
9. Thirty-nine substances used by physicians of the Jin, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties but absent in Tang and Song editions are added. Li Shizhen supplemented an additional 374 substances. Although these are medical materials, their investigation into nature and principle constitutes the Confucian study of "Gewu" (investigation of things), helping to fill gaps left by classics like *Erya* and *Mao Shi Zhuan*.
10. The prefaces and examples in old editions were repetitive and cumbersome. This edition takes *Shennong Bencao Jing* as the orthodox standard, appending excerpts from *Bencao Jing Jizhu* (Collected Annotations on the Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) and other authorities below, along with prescribing principles from Zhang Yuansu and Li Dongyuan.
11. Ancient records of treatments for hundred diseases were brief and imprecise. Works by Wang Hao-gu (*Jiyao*) and Zhu Mu (*Zhengzhi*) were concise but incomplete. Now, causes of disease are categorized and listed for practical application, ensuring clarity despite complexity.
12. The old catalog of *Shennong Bencao Jing* and the general index of the Song edition are appended after the preface to preserve ancient records.