Research on Family and Genus Classification and Development of Species Names of Chinese Medicine Hirudo
Objective:To enable more relevant scholars to understand the development and record of the species of Hirudo (leeches) through a more clear historical context,and to use relevant Chinese names and nicknames more strictly in various scenarios in the future. Methods:By collecting domestic research literature related to three medicinal leeches included in pharmacopoeia from the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China to the present day,as well as family and genus,combining with some earlier foreign records and the data of the present main shared database,the family and genus classification of several leeches,species merger and separation,and the corresponding Chinese names and Latin scientific names were sorted and analyzed. Results:Since the founding of the People's Republic of China,Hirudo has been included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China since 1963. With the in-depth research of leeches,the classification of leeches has been adjusted continuously. At present,the family and genus classification of leeches has gradually differentiated into two relatively independent usage habits,and there are some problems such as misuse of Chinese names. Conclusion:In order to ensure the accuracy of the source of species and prevent the ambiguity between research and use,it is suggested that pharmacopoeia should be supplemented by a variety of notes to confirm the original source. In addition,a new round of survey and sorting of leeches should be one of the important topics for leeches research.