【Introduction】

   This atlas is a collection of colour photographs of five hundred most important Chinese traditional drugs prescribed in "the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China", 1977 edition. Each drug and the original plants or animals or animal products from which it is made are represented by colour photographs of authenticated specimens from the most famous plantations of medicinal herbs, botanical gardens and their natural growing habitats in China. Both Photographs and close-up shots showing the natural community, appearance of the plants and the diagnostic features of flowers, fruits, leaves and roots, etc. are provided. Besides photographs, there are also brief descriptions of the original plant (or animal), its habitat and distribution, collection and preparations, diagnostic characters of the drug, its chemical constituents, actions and uses, etc.

This atlas on Chinese traditional drugs is the first of its kind ever published in China. It is scientifically accurate in its contents and artistic in presentation. It is very useful for those engaed in collection, preparation, quality control, scientific research and teaching of Chinese traditional drugs. It also provides a shortcut for the amateurs of natural drugs and gardening and the nature-lowers to recognize and utilize medicinal plants and animals.

The work will be published in three volumes. Both Chinese and English editions are issued. The first volume include 150 drugs, among which 138 are vegetable and 12 are aminal drugs, with more than 500 photographs.