About 5,000 years ago, Shen Nung brought about a more uniform system by organizing all the grasses, plants and extracts of the period into a compendium which has since become a classic.
這些被整理歸納的，多半為生長區域較廣的藥草。整理的人對各地稱呼不一的藥草，給予統一命名，並把藥草的形式、氣味、藥效、產地、用法，詳細記載在藥書之內。