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A thin-line illustration of Shen Nong, an elderly, bearded man depicted with horns, with four chinese characters at the top of the page.
Woodcut illustration of Shen Nong, the "divine farmer." (Photo: Wellcome Images, Photo number: L0039313)

Oldest surviving text on Chinese medicinal plants compiled from oral tradition.

200s BCE

TFCM
Woodcut illustration of Shen Nong, the "divine farmer." (Photo: Wellcome Images, Photo number: L0039313)

The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, which will later be translated into English as The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica, is likely written by multiple authors who compile oral traditions between 200 BCE-200 AD. The text includes 365 medicinals divided into three sections: superior herbs, which are nontoxic plants that nurture life force and longevity; medium class herbs, which may or may not be toxic, and are intended to control disease and repair exhaustion; and inferior herbs, which are usually toxic, and can be used for short periods to cure disease.