The compilation of China's first comprehensive bibliography of traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology has been completed.

The Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medical Books and Records, to be published by the Shanghai Science and Technology Press, lists more than 23,000 volumes of books and records on traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology written from the pre-Qin Dynasty days (about 2,000 years ago) to the end of the 20th century.

The five-million-character dictionary not only includes a complete list of traditional Chinese medical literature kept within China but also covers rare books which are spread throughout the world.

The bibliography has taken more than 300 medical experts over 10 years to compile.

Experts say it will be invaluable to the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2002)