This book was compiled under the direction of Zhu Di, the fifth son of Emperor Taizu of Ming and the Prince of Zhou, with contributions from scholars such as Teng Shuo and Liu Chun. It was published in 1406, but the original edition has been lost. Over the centuries, only a few collectors have preserved some fragments, such as the 19 volumes from the Yongle edition and the 35 volumes from the Ming manuscript. The only complete text is found in the Siku Quanshu. The original work consisted of 168 volumes, but the Siku Quanshu version expanded it to 426 volumes. It contains 1960 theories, 2175 categories, 778 methods, 239 illustrations, and 61,739 prescriptions. In 1959, the People's Medical Publishing House primarily based their edition on the Siku Quanshu version, supplemented by the surviving fragments, and published a collated and typeset version.

This book is the largest ancient formulary in China. It is broadly divided into 12 sections: volumes 1-5 cover pulse diagnosis, volumes 6-12 discuss the theory of five movements and six climates, volumes 13-43 focus on zang-fu organs, volumes 44-86 deal with the five sense organs, volumes 87-250 address internal medicine (Zabing), volumes 251-267 cover miscellaneous treatments, volumes 268-272 include miscellaneous records and talismans, volumes 271-315 focus on external traumatology, volumes 316-357 are dedicated to gynecology, volumes 358-408 cover pediatrics, volumes 409-424 discuss acupuncture and moxibustion, and volumes 425-426 focus on materia medica. The organization is clear, and the content is exceptionally rich. Among ancient classical formulas, this book is the most comprehensive. In addition to drawing from historical medical texts, it also incorporates relevant content from historical biographies, miscellaneous writings, Taoist scriptures, and Buddhist texts.

Existing major editions include: the Ming Yongle era printed edition (fragments); the version found in the Siku Quanshu; and the 1958 People's Medical Publishing House edition, which is based on the Siku Quanshu version and supplemented by fragments from the Ming Yongle era printed edition and the Ming manuscript, collated and typeset into a 10-volume lead-printed edition.