Abstract: Toxic materia medica have been a subject of great interest and long-standing controversy in Chinese medicine, both inside and outside the Chinese medicine academic. Thus, it is important to conduct an in-depth study on this topic. Through this study, we can understand the history, concept, mechanism, clinical application, toxic and side effects, as well as antidotes of toxicity and poisoning in Chinese materia medica. So extensive research should be carried out from literature, clinical, experimental and survey aspects, using literature collation, data mining, comparative analysis, questionnaire survey to study the recognition, identification, reduction and use of toxicity in Chinese materia medica. Therefore, we have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of toxicity in Chinese materia medica and toxic Chinese materia medica to lay the theoretical foundation for scientific treatment of Chinese materia medica toxicity and correctly use toxic Chinese materia medica.