古书之以经称。而流传于今者。以神农本草经与大禹山海经为最。顾山海经旧传禹与益
同记
之。而有长沙。零陵。桂阳。诸暨。等郡县。识者疑之。因及神农本草。其出药物者。亦有
豫章。朱崖。赵国。常山。奉高。真定。临淄。冯翊等名。亦以为疑。然无可疑也。本草之
目。始见于汉书。平帝之诏。班氏艺文志。有神农黄帝食禁七卷。食禁乃食药之讹。周礼贾
疏引之正作食药。其即本草诸书明矣。隋书经籍志。神农本草八卷。又云梁有神农本草。五
卷
。神农本草属物二卷。神农明堂图一卷。殆合之为八卷邪。然梁七录止云神农本草三卷。核
其书。上药一百二十种为君。主养命以应天者本上经。中药一百二十种为臣。主养性以应人
者本中经。下药一百二十五种为佐使。治病以应地者本下经。则作三卷者。其本经也。又合
三百六十五种。法三百六十五度。一度以应一日。以成一岁。本草之为经大矣。其有豫章等
郡县名。皆后人羼入之文本。大观本草。黑白字书。厘正最精。太平御览。所行经史。止云
生山谷生川泽者。尤为确据。阳湖孙观察星衍。及从子冯翼。相与辑之。实为神农功臣。亦
可无疑于是经矣。汉阳叶大中丞封翁东卿先生。就养于粤东节署。老而好学。考古不衰。因
取孙氏所编神农本草经。物物而为之赞。赞各四言四韵。音节之古。不可名言。又自为之注
。简而且明。使读本草者。浏览讽诵。不能释手。而其药之本性治用。了然于目。自有会心
。不尤为神农功臣乎。楚材以县职试用于粤者逾年。适与同寮校阅广郡试卷。而封翁寄示是
书。命为之序。展读三四。窃有请焉。昔郭景纯注山海经。而并为图赞。翁之为是赞也。其
亦有景纯之志乎。翁以为然。即以是言系诸简末云。
道光三十年庚戌夏五鄞王楚材谨序于广州郡斋
古代书籍中以“经”命名的，流传至今的，以《神农本草经》和《大禹山海经》最为著名。然而，《山海经》旧传是大禹与伯益共同记录的，但其中却出现了长沙、零陵、桂阳、诸暨等郡县名称，有见识的人对此表示怀疑。由此推及《神农本草经》，其中记载的药物产地也有豫章、朱崖、赵国、常山、奉高、真定、临淄、冯翊等名称，人们也对此产生怀疑。但这其实没有什么可怀疑的。
“本草”这一书名，最早见于《汉书》。汉平帝的诏书中，班固的《艺文志》记载有《神农黄帝食禁》七卷。“食禁”是“食药”的讹误，《周礼》贾公彦的疏文中引用它时正写作“食药”，这显然是指本草类的书籍。《隋书·经籍志》记载有《神农本草》八卷，又说梁代有《神农本草》五卷、《神农本草属物》二卷、《神农明堂图》一卷，大概合起来就是八卷吧？然而《梁七录》只记载《神农本草》三卷。核查其内容，上药一百二十种为君，主养命以应天，属于上经；中药一百二十种为臣，主养性以应人，属于中经；下药一百二十五种为佐使，治病以应地，属于下经。那么写成三卷的，应该就是本经了。又合计三百六十五种药物，效法三百六十五度（天数），一度对应一天，以此构成一年。本草作为经典著作，地位确实崇高啊。至于其中出现的豫章等郡县名称，都是后人掺入的文字。宋代大观年间刊刻的《本草》黑白字书，校勘整理最为精审。《太平御览》所引用的经史文献，只说药物生长在山谷或川泽之中，这更是确凿的证据。
阳湖人孙星衍观察（官职名）及其侄子孙冯翼，共同辑录整理此书，实为神农的功臣，对此书也不必再有怀疑了。汉阳叶大中丞（官职名）封翁（对他人父亲的尊称）东卿先生，在粤东节度使署接受赡养，年老仍好学，考据古学毫不衰减。于是取孙氏所编的《神农本草经》，对每种药物都撰写赞语，每篇赞语四言四韵，音节的古朴，难以用言语形容。他又亲自为之作注，简洁而明了，使得阅读本草的人，浏览讽诵，爱不释手，药物的本性治用一目了然，自然会有心得，这不更是神农的功臣吗？
楚材（作者自称）以县级职务在广东试用已逾一年，恰逢与同僚校阅广州府的试卷，此时封翁寄来此书，命我为之作序。展读三四遍后，我私下有个想法：昔日郭景纯（郭璞）注释《山海经》，并为其绘制图赞。老先生撰写这些赞语，难道也有郭景纯那样的志向吗？老先生认为我说得对，便把这段话写在书的末尾。
Among ancient books designated as "Jing" (Classics), those that have survived to the present day are most notably the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) and the *Da Yu Shan Hai Jing* (Classic of Mountains and Seas attributed to Yu). However, the *Shan Hai Jing* was traditionally recorded by Yu the Great and Bo Yi together, yet it mentions commanderies and counties such as Changsha, Lingling, Guiyang, and Zhuji. Scholars have doubted this. By extension, doubts have also arisen regarding the *Shennong Bencao Jing*, which lists drug origins including Yuzhang, Zhuya, Zhao Guo, Changshan, Fenggao, Zhending, Linzi, and Fengyi. Yet there is no reason for doubt.
The title "Bencao" (Materia Medica) first appears in the *Book of Han*. In an edict of Emperor Ping, Ban Gu's *Treatise on Literature* records seven volumes of *Shennong Huangdi Shi Jin* (Dietary Prohibitions of Shennong and the Yellow Emperor). "Shi Jin" is a textual error for "Shi Yao" (Food and Medicine); Jia Gongyan's commentary on the *Rites of Zhou* cites it correctly as "Shi Yao," clearly referring to materia medica texts. The *Book of Sui: Bibliography* records eight volumes of *Shennong Bencao*, and also notes that during the Liang Dynasty, there were five volumes of *Shennong Bencao*, two volumes of *Shennong Bencao Shuwu* (Classification of Substances in Shennong Bencao), and one volume of *Shennong Mingtang Tu* (Illustrations of the Mingtang). These likely sum up to eight volumes. However, the *Liang Qilu* only records three volumes of *Shennong Bencao*. Examining the content, the 120 superior drugs serve as sovereigns, nourishing life to correspond with Heaven, belonging to the Upper Classic; the 120 medium drugs serve as ministers, nourishing nature to correspond with Humanity, belonging to the Middle Classic; and the 125 inferior drugs serve as assistants, treating diseases to correspond with Earth, belonging to the Lower Classic. Thus, the version consisting of three volumes is likely the original classic. Furthermore, the total of 365 substances corresponds to the 365 degrees of celestial movement, each degree corresponding to a day, thereby completing a year. The status of Bencao as a classic is indeed profound. The mention of commandery names like Yuzhang within the text are interpolations by later authors. The black-and-white printed editions of the *Bencao* from the Daguan era of the Song Dynasty offer the most precise collation. The *Taiping Yulan* (Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era), citing classical histories, states only that drugs grow in mountains, valleys, rivers, or marshes, which serves as particularly solid evidence.
Sun Xingyan, a researcher from Yanghu, and his nephew Sun Fengyi, collaborated to compile this work, truly becoming meritorious servants of Shennong; thus, there is no need to doubt this classic. Mr. Ye Dongqing, titled Grand Commissioner Ye of Hanyang and respectfully referred to as "Fengweng" (a term of respect for another's father), resided at the Guangdong Provincial Administration while being supported by his family. Though old, he remained eager to learn and unceasing in his study of antiquity. He took the *Shennong Bencao Jing* compiled by Mr. Sun and wrote eulogies for each substance. Each eulogy consists of four-character lines in four rhymes, possessing an archaic rhythm beyond verbal description. He also provided his own annotations, which are concise and clear. This allows readers of the materia medica to browse and recite without putting it down, gaining a clear understanding of the inherent properties and therapeutic uses of the drugs, leading to personal insight. Is he not truly a meritorious servant of Shennong?
I, Chucai, having served for over a year in a county-level capacity in Guangdong, happened to be reviewing examination papers for Guangzhou Prefecture with my colleagues when Mr. Ye sent me this book and requested a preface. After reading it several times, I privately harbor a thought: In the past, Guo Pu (courtesy name Jingchun) annotated the *Shan Hai Jing* and created accompanying illustrations and eulogies. Did Mr. Ye intend to emulate Guo Jingchun's ambition in writing these eulogies? Mr. Ye agreed and had this statement appended to the end of the book.
In the fifth month of the Gengxu year (1850) of the Daoguang reign, Wang Chucai of Yin respectfully composed this preface at the Guangzhou Prefectural Study.