(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). This 53-volume reference book boasts of nearly 1,900 entries: containing roughly 1,100 herbs whose respective characteristics, uses, and side-effects, were detailed. These combined to make it 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 remains a treasure trove of scientific information by augmenting it with sections dealing with logic, cartography, geodesy, geology, biology, mineralogy, chemistry and astronomy. All these explain why it has remained one of the oldest and prized encyclopedias still in use. It is available in about 20 languages; and could be found in all continents. 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 in his honor.
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