Yaohui tukao (Illustrated Congregation of Drugs), published in 1935 (24th year of the Republic of China), presents the materia medica in dramatic form. It consists of ten scenes, in which various drugs appear as protagonists.
This illustration accompanies Scene 8, ' The Gold Hairpin Disaster', in which characters personifying personifying Cape jasmine (zhizi), dendrobium (shihu) and chrysanthemum present the sapors, potencies, and therapeutic uses of various drugs through the medium of spoken dialogue and song.
Cassia seed (caojueming) clears the liver and improves vision. Cardamom (yizhiren) checks the involuntary emission of urine and semen. Rush clears and purges fire in the heart. Celosia seed (qingxiang zi) removes nebula and dispels wind. Paper mulberry fruit (chu shizi, fructus broussonetiae) invigorates Yang and improves the eyesight. Gentian clears heat and settles fright. Body of Chinese angelica root replenishes and nourishes heart blood. Barley malt promotes digestion and lubricates the intestine… Altogether, this scene introduces about 30 drugs.
