China
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Li Shizhen
Qichun (Hubei), China
Archival Overview
Greatest pharmacologist and naturalist in Chinese history, who spent 27 years compiling the monumental Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), cataloging 1,892 drugs and 11,096 prescriptions.
Biographical Record
Li Shizhen (1518–1593), born in Qichun along the Yangtze River, rejected bureaucratic imperial exams to follow in his father's footsteps as a physician. Appalled by the errors, contradictions, and toxic superstitions in existing pharmacological books, he embarked on a 27-year expedition across mountains, forests, and provinces.
He collected, tested, and classified natural substances, completing the monumental Bencao Gangmu (*Compendium of Materia Medica*) in 1578. Comprising 52 volumes, it detailed 1,892 medicinal substances (botanical, zoological, and mineral), 11,096 prescriptions, and over 1,000 detailed anatomical and botanical woodcut illustrations, earning acclaim from Charles Darwin as an invaluable natural history encyclopedia.
Key Life Milestones
Completion of 'Bencao Gangmu'
Completed the 52-volume masterwork cataloging 1,892 medicinal substances after 27 years of research and travel.
First Imperial Printing of the Compendium
Published in Nanjing with 1,106 woodcut illustrations, becoming the standard reference throughout East Asia and Europe.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialQizhou (Qichun, Hubei), China