Li Shizhen was a Chinese physician, pharmacologist and naturalist of the Ming dynasty who, after repeated failure in the imperial civil service examinations, devoted himself to medicine. Over twenty-seven years he compiled the Bencao Gangmu, or Compendium of Materia Medica, a pharmacological reference of about 1,900 entries covering plant, animal and mineral substances, organized by category and habitat and illustrated with roughly 1,100 drawings and 11,000 prescriptions. He also described practical treatments, including methods for managing gallstones and reducing fever, and the Compendium was later translated into multiple languages and remains a foundational text in the history of pharmacology and botany.
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Li Shizhen wrote the Bencao Gangmu, a foundational text of Chinese materia medica.
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1. Wikipedia: Li Shizhen
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Li Shizhen (3 July 1518, 1593), courtesy name Dongbi, was a Chinese acupuncturist, herbalist, naturalist, pharmacologist, physician, and writer of the Ming dynasty.
Wikidata: Li Shizhen
Wikidata Q698925, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Was Li Shizhen only a physician?
He was also an herbalist, naturalist, pharmacologist and writer.
No. Li Shizhen was a Ming dynasty Chinese scholar whose sources describe him as an acupuncturist, herbalist, naturalist, pharmacologist, physician and writer. His best known work, the Bencao Gangmu or Compendium of Materia Medica, is a pharmacological reference that also treats plants, animals and minerals, which is why he is remembered in the history of botany as well as medicine.
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