author
Ang Wang
b. 1615
A late Ming–early Qing physician whose practical manuals helped generations of students approach traditional Chinese medicine. Best known for clear, usable compendiums, his books were valued as accessible guides rather than dense scholarly treatises.
1 Audiobook
本草備要
by Ang Wang
About the author
Wang Ang was a Chinese physician active during the late Ming and early Qing period, generally dated 1615–1695. Sources describe him as a native of Xiuning County in Anhui and a representative figure of the Xin'an School of Medicine.
According to biographical summaries, he turned from the examination path to medicine, studied earlier medical classics closely, and combined that reading with long clinical experience. His reputation rests on organizing and explaining inherited knowledge in a form that learners could actually use.
He is especially associated with widely circulated medical works such as Ben Cao Bei Yao and Yi Fang Ji Jie, and he is also credited with other instructional texts on formulas, channels, and medicinal properties. Many accounts emphasize that his books were concise, practical, and influential as entry points for students of traditional Chinese medicine.