Genuine medicinal materials are high-quality and well-known traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)herbs in specific regions,representing premium traditional medicinal materials in China.Qin medicine,as an important part of genuine medicinal materials,has made positive contributions to the safeguard of people's health and the promotion of the development of TCM.However,the concept,connotation,origin,and development history of Qin medicine remain unclear.Through systematic collation and textual research of relevant literature,this study clarified the historical origin and development of Qin medicine as well as explored and defined the concept of Qin medicine from both broad and narrow perspectives for the first time in this article.It aims to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of Qin medicines and promote the development and utilization of Qin medicine.