Li Shizhen

Li Shizhen
BornJuly 3, 1518
Qizhou Town, Qichun County, Hubei
Died1593 (aged 74–75)
Other namesDongbi (東璧)
Occupation(s)Acupuncturist, herbalist, naturalist, pharmacologist, physician, writer
FatherLi Yanwen
Li Shizhen
Traditional Chinese李時珍
Simplified Chinese李时珍
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Shízhēn
Wade–GilesLi Shih-chen

Li Shizhen (July 3, 1518  – 1593), courtesy name Dongbi, was a Chinese acupuncturist, herbalist, naturalist, pharmacologist, physician, and writer of the Ming dynasty. He is the author of a 27-year work, the Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu; Chinese: 本草綱目). He developed several methods for classifying herb components and medications for treating diseases.[1]

The Compendium is a pharmacology text with 1,892 entries, with details about more than 1,800 traditional Chinese medicines, including 1,100 illustrations and 11,000 prescriptions. It also described the type, form, flavor, nature and application in disease treatments of 1,094 herbs. The book has been translated into several languages. The treatise included various related subjects such as botany, zoology, mineralogy, and metallurgy. Five original editions still exist.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b 《走遍中国》 20111105 医药双圣李时珍_《医药双圣李时珍》_视频_央视网. tv.cntv.cn. Retrieved 2018-05-21. CNTV Documentary on the life and achievements of Li Shizhen, with focus on his work Compendium of Materia Medica. Title is 《医药双圣李时珍》 (English translation is "Medical and Pharmacological Sage Lishizhen"). Part of the series 《走遍中国》 (English name is "Around China"). English subtitles are available.
  2. ^ Original text from Li Shizhen, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.