Yao Xing Ji Yao Bian Du was a book on materia medica, compiled by Yue Chang, a physician in Wujin, Jiangsu, in the Qing Dynasty. This book was first published in the 23rd year of Dao Guang in the Qing Dynasty (1843) and there are three versions remaining. They were the movable-type printing of the Song Yang Study of the Tao's in 1843, the reprinted version of the Song Yang Study in the 30th year of Dao Guang (1850) , and the version of the Yi Hai Tang in the first year of Xian Feng (1851). This book involved 374 herbs, describing each of their shapes and colours, features and tastes, and meridial distribution with poems of five or seven characters, as well as their functions and prescriptions. It attached many herbs from the formulas of physicians and a 'Brief Guide of Medicine' to the poems, indicating herb features and Chinese medical culture. The book had both academic value and literature value because it integrated theories and practice. This paper examines the life of Yue Chang and his book, and clarifies the content and version sources of the Yao Xing Ji Yao Bian Du. It also corrects the mistakes of version recording to the following books: the General Catalogue of Chinese Ancient Books, the General Catalogue of Chinese Ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine Books and the Dictionary of Chinese Medical Books.
《药性集要便读》为清道光年间江苏武进县医学家岳昶编撰的本草著作，首刊于清道光二十三年（1843），现存3种版本，分别为清道光二十三年（1843）陶氏嵩阳书屋活字本、清道光三十年（1850）嵩阳书屋重镌本、咸丰元年（1851）艺海堂刻本。《药性集要便读》载药374种，每药以五言或七言歌诀简述形色、性味、归经，另列主治、功用、发明。歌诀后引录诸家本草，并附“医学便览”，内蕴药性机理，外括中药文化，是一部理论与实践交互彰显的本草著作，具有一定的学术价值及文献价值。通过对岳昶生平及著作的考证，厘清了《药性集要便读》的内容与版本源流，纠正了《中国古籍总目》《中国中医古籍总目》《中国医籍大辞典》等关于该书的版本记录之误。.