Qian bencao 錢本草

Qian bencao 錢本草 "The cash pharmacopoeia" is an ancient text on money written in the style of a pharmaceutical analysis. The author, Zhang Yue 張說 (667-731) from the Tang period 唐 (618-907), describes money as a "sweet" medicine, causing "great heat", and poisonous. The text says that "it can preserve a youthful appearance, with a lot of color and moisture in the face. It is good in healing sufferings from hunger, cold, distress and poverty. It is immediately efficacious. It is able to benefit country and state, but corrupts [even] eminent persons, and causes fear [even] to the upright and the honest." (transl. Shan and Vogel)

Zhang Yue, courtesy name Yuezhi 說之, style Daoji 道濟, was from Luoyang (today in Henan province). He was a high official in the imperial household and was famous for his style of writing. His collected writings Zhang Yangong ji 張燕公集 are included in the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書. The adventure tale Qiuranke zhuan 虯髯客傳 is perhaps also written by Zhang Yue, but it was rather written by the Daoist master Du Guangting 杜光庭 (850-933).

A full translation of the brief text can be found on the page of the project Monies, Markets and Finance in China and East Asia, 1600-1900.