Guan Hua-Shi, Fu Xian-Jun, Wu Qiang-Ming, Wang Chang-Yun, Wang Yu, Jiang Deng-Zhao
The Institute of Marine Drug and Food, Medicine and Pharmaceutic School of Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
Zhonghua Yi Shi Za Zhi. 2009 May;39(3):168-72.
According to archaeological discoveries, humans began to make use of marine natural resources early in the Palaeolithic era. In the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period, they began to use marine life as medicines and also had simple cognitions on their efficacy and processing. In the Qin and Han dynasties, people further deepened the understanding of the marine Chinese materia medica and created prescriptions making use of marine drugs. In the Tang and Song period, the number of marine Chinese materia medica species and corresponding prescriptions apparently increased. The cognitions of the property, flavor, efficacy as well as the compatible principle of marine Chinese materia medica was further deepened and the scope of their treatment also significantly expanded. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the cognition of the marine Chinese materia medica was mainly the conclusions of the previous experience. After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), with the development of science and technologies, the ability of exploiting and utilizing the marine Chinese materia medica by people dramatically increased, and the species of marine Chinese materia medica reached more than one thousand. However, the development of marine Chinese materia medica is confronted with new problems; although the number of species of marine Chinese materia medica increased, the understanding of their property and flavor is obviously lagging behind, which seriously affects the clinical application of marine Chinese materia medica.
根据考古发现，人类早在旧石器时代就开始利用海洋自然资源。在春秋战国时期，人们开始将海洋生物用作药物，并对其功效和加工有了简单认识。秦汉时期，人们对海洋中药的认识进一步加深，并创制了使用海洋药物的方剂。唐宋时期，海洋中药的种类和相应方剂数量明显增加。对海洋中药的性味、功效以及配伍原则的认识进一步深化，其治疗范围也显著扩大。明清时期，对海洋中药的认识主要是以往经验的总结。中华人民共和国成立后，随着科学技术的发展，人们开发利用海洋中药的能力大幅提高，海洋中药种类达一千多种。然而，海洋中药的发展面临新问题；虽然海洋中药种类增加了，但对其性味的认识明显滞后，严重影响了海洋中药的临床应用。
