(July 3, 1518 – May 26, 1593)
As home to the oldest continuous medical system in the world, China has over the last two millennia mastered innovative methodologies and produced preeminent practitioners of oriental medicine. Among these icons is Li Shizhen, an outstanding polymath, who revamped pharmaceutics and pharmacology. He dedicated 30 years to exploring therapeutic choices, supplements and alternatives. In the process, he revolutionized pharmacognosy (by isolating and classifying hundreds of medicinal plants). Details of these were published in his magnum opus titled Bencao Gangmu (known in Latin as Compendium Materia Medica; and was inspired by Su Song’s Bencao Tujing). This 53-volume reference boasts of nearly 1900 entries: containing roughly 1100 herbs whose uses and side-effects were detailed. These combined to make it both the most voluminous and the most comprehensive publication in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine. But apart from that, Li Shizhen ensured that Bencao Gangmu remained a treasure trove of scientific information by augmenting it with sections dealing with biology, mineralogy, chemistry, geography and astronomy. All these explain why it remains one of the oldest and prized encyclopediae still in use. Its translations spanned over 20 languages, which could be found in every continent. His other publications covered history, metallurgy, acupuncture, agriculture, and nutrition. Among other things, Li Shizhen is remembered as one of the earliest researchers who studied and understood gallstones. He is also among the first who ascertained the efficacy of Ephedra sinica as nasal decongestant. The vitreous multicolored mineral, Lishizhenite {ZnFe2(SO4)4•14(H2O)}, is among various items named after him.
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