From the middle of the Qing dynasty, the Bowu yaolan (博物要览, Conspectus of Nature Products and Antiques) was regularly cited by relevant scholars in the fields of casting, ceramics and metallurgy. In fact, the current twelve-section edition of the work is not the original version compiled by Gu Tai (谷泰), but is, rather, a “re-edited” book. Originally named Gudongzhi (骨董志, Record of Antiques), and included in the Han hai (函海, Seas of Books) series compiled by Li Diaoyuan (李调元) in the late 18th century, it was renamed Bowu yaolan during the period of the Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820). Gu Tai's original version comprised sixteen sections, and only survives in manuscript form. Most of its content came from three books: Mochibian (墨池编), Zunsheng bajian (遵生八笺, Eight Key Points of Life-Cultivation) and Bencao gangmu (本草纲目, Compendium of Materia Medica). However, it does record some unique techniques and methods, reflecting its value. The two editions of Bowu yaolan are quite different in content but matched in terms of editing. The differences between their subsequent impact on later scholars is not only directly related to the material form of the texts, but also closely related to the frequency and quantity of printing.
Mingxin LU (Wed,) studied this question.