Li Shih-chen (李 時珍), 1518-1593
Li Shih-chen (李時珍), 1518-1593, drawing published in Zhongguo li dai ming yi tu zhuan (Biographies and portraits of Chinese famous doctors in past dynasties), 1987
Chinese medicine seems to have reached its peak during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) when Li Shih-chen 李時珍 wrote his Pen ts'ao kang mu (The Great Herbal). This great pharmacopoeia, which summarizes what was known of herbal medicine up to the late 16th century, describes in detail more than 1800 plants, animal substances, minerals, and metals, along with their medicinal properties and applications. Li Shih-chen was 35 years old when he began to compile his Pen ts'ao kang mu. He took 27 years to finish it.
About the Book
Zhongguo li dai ming yi tu zhuan, (Biographies and portraits of Chinese famous doctors in past dynasties) 1987