This paper took the reference of some lost medical books quoted in Compendium of Materia Medica（ 《本草纲目》） as example to discuss the complexity of the cited literature. Chenshi Jingyan Fang（ 《陈氏经验方》）

Xiao Er Gongqi Ji（ 《小儿宫气集》）

Zhang Huan Xiao Er Fang（ 《张焕小儿方》）

and Tongzi Mijue（ 《童子秘诀》）written by YAO Hezhong were all cited in Compendium of Materia Medica

and they were all lost today. According to textual research

some of these lost medical records were read by LI Shizhen at that time

such as Chenshi Jingyan Fang. Some were also possible to be quoted from other ancient books

such as Xiao Er Gongqi Ji

Zhang Huan Xiao Er Fang

and Tongzi Mijue. The general medical science content of Compendium of Materia Medica was the same as it quoted the previous literature

but LI Shizhen intended to handle the text briefly. After repeated analysis and comparative study

it was speculated that the purpose was to compress the layout and reduce the publishing cost

so as to facilitate the publication of Compendium of Materia Medica. The preface of Compendium of Materia Medica referred to that the number of bibliographies quoted was not completely consistent with the text. According to the preface example

and the number of specific citations could not be determined. Compendium of Materia Medica contained anonymous texts and relevant clues of many lost ancient medical books

which had the great value of clinical application and academic inheritance.