Materia Medica

Author: Li Shizhen / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Compendium of Materia Medica is a monumental work by the great medical scientist Li Shizhen (1518–1593), who devoted his entire life to it. Through extensive fieldwork, extensive collection of knowledge, and practical experience, he comprehensively compiled and summarized the study of medicinal herbs over a period of 27 years. The book comprises 52 volumes, approximately 2 million words, including 1,892 medicinal species (374 newly added), over 1,100 illustrations, and more than 11,000 prescriptions. It represents the culmination of pharmaceutical achievements in China before the 16th century and also makes outstanding contributions in fields such as etymology, linguistics, history, geography, botany, zoology, mineralogy, and metallurgy. The book was introduced to the world in the late 17th century and has been translated into multiple languages, making internationally recognized outstanding contributions to natural sciences worldwide.