Li Shizhen (李时珍) — The Master Herbalist & Author of Materia Medica
Dynasty: Ming Dynasty (1518-1593)
Trekked thousands of miles tasting toxic herbs to author the ancient encyclopedia praised by Darwin.
Life Footprint & Journey Nodes
Qizhou, Qichun (Hubei) (湖北蕲春 (瓦硝坝医药世家启蒙立志)) - Age 20
Herbal medicine cradle along the Yangtze where Li Shizhen was born, Qichun, Hubei
Renouncing the Imperial Exams to Heal Human Suffering
Born into a lineage of physicians in Qichun by the Yangtze. After failing the imperial civil exams three times, he resolved to follow his father into medicine and devote his life to correcting materia medica through rigorous inquiry.
Cut away the redundant, supply what is missing, and correct what is false.
复者芟之，阙者缉之，伪者绳之。 (Fù zhě shān zhī, què zhě jī zhī, wěi zhě shéng zhī.)Prince of Chu Estate, Wuchang (Wuhan, Hubei) (湖北武汉 (楚王府良医所医术名震荆楚)) - Age 34
Ducal palace medical office on the middle Yangtze, Wuhan, Hubei
Curing Incurable Royalty: Gaining Access to Secret Imperial Medical Texts
Curing the Prince of Chu's heir of a severe ailment, Li Shizhen was appointed head of the Royal Medical Bureau. He spent nights studying the palace library's rare ancient manuscripts and imported overseas remedies.
Medicine is the art of deep comprehension; its divine mastery connects harmoniously with the cosmos.
夫医者，意也。神圣工巧，通乎天地。 (Fū yī zhě, yì yě. Shén shèng gōng qiǎo, tōng hū tiān dì.)Imperial Medical Academy, Beijing (北京 (太医院任职目睹古籍纰漏立志重修本草)) - Age 39
Ming imperial academy of medicine where Li Shizhen accessed the imperial library, Beijing
Walking Away from the Capital: 'Ancient Medical Books Are Killing People'
Promoted to the prestigious Imperial Medical Academy in Beijing, Li Shizhen discovered that ancient medical texts were riddled with lethal errors. Refusing palace politics, he resigned after one year to dedicate his life to a total revision of herbal science.
Ancient books contain confused classifications and inherited errors passed down for centuries—they must be corrected!
古书品类错杂，诸家注解，谬误相沿，不可不改！ (Gǔ shū pǐn lèi cuò zá, zhū jiā zhù jiě, miù wù xiāng yán, bù kě bù gǎi!)Mount Wudang (Shiyan, Hubei) (湖北十堰 (攀武当悬崖亲尝曼陀罗毒草)) - Age 43
Misty Daoist mountain sanctuary where Li Shizhen collected rare medicinal herbs, Hubei
Testing Deadly Toxins on Himself: The Discovery of Herbal Anesthesia
Trekking deep into the Wudang Mountains, Li Shizhen gathered wild herbs and self-tested toxic plants like Datura (Mandala). He accurately documented that when mixed with wine, Datura acts as an effective herbal anesthetic for surgery.
Mandala flower, taken with warm wine, causes intoxicating numbness in moments; surgery and cauterization may proceed without pain.
曼陀罗花，热酒调服，少顷昏昏如醉，割疮灸穴，不觉苦痛。 (Màn tuó luó huā, rè jiǔ tiáo fú, shǎo qǐng hūn hūn rú zuì, gē chuāng jiǔ xuè, bù jué kǔ tòng.)Mount Lushan (Jiujiang, Jiangxi) (江西九江 (攀登庐山绝壁纠正历代医书错谬)) - Age 48
Misty sacred peaks where Li Shizhen collected rare alpine herbs, Jiujiang, Jiangxi
Distinguishing Look-Alike Herbs on Misty Mountain Precipices
Ascending Mount Lushan, Li Shizhen interviewed local herbalists and woodcutters. He meticulously differentiated herbs that had been confused under single names for centuries, correcting hundreds of life-threatening classification errors.
Observe its form with your eyes, taste its essence with your mouth, immerse yourself in its habitat—only then is true knowledge gained.
目察其形，口尝其味，身历其境，方得真知。 (Mù chá qí xíng, kǒu cháng qí wèi, shēn lì qí jìng, fāng dé zhēn zhī.)Poyang Lake (Jiangxi) (江西鄱阳湖 (访渔夫樵夫吸纳民间真知)) - Age 53
Expansive freshwater wetland surveyed for aquatic fauna and flora, Jiangxi
Learning from Fishermen: Transforming Folk Wisdom into Universal Science
Spending months among fishermen on Poyang Lake, Li Shizhen studied the medical properties of freshwater fish, turtles, and aquatic minerals, bridging grassroots folk knowledge with rigorous classical medicine.
Farmers and fishermen are all my teachers; mountains, rivers, and flora are all my living library.
农夫渔人，皆吾之师；山川草木，皆吾之书。 (Nóng fū yú rén, jiē wú zhī shī; shān chuān cǎo mù, jiē wú zhī shū.)Jinling / Nanjing (Jiangsu) (江苏南京 (历时27载完稿赴金陵刻印)) - Age 61
Famed printing center of the Ming Dynasty where the Compendium was engraved, Nanjing
Twenty-Seven Years, 1.9 Million Words: The Magnum Opus Completed
At age 61, after 27 years of relentless writing and three full revisions, Li Shizhen completed Compendium of Materia Medica: 52 volumes, 1.9 million words, cataloging 1,892 medicines and 11,096 prescriptions. He traveled to Nanjing to oversee printing.
Like entering a grand garden of golden flowers—diverse in hues yet distinct in orders; each displaying divine radiance and unmatched marvel.
如入金谷之园，种色虽多，品类自别；如登龙门之观，神采各异，各极其妙。 (Rú rù Jīn gǔ zhī yuán, zhǒng sè suī duō, pǐn lèi zì bié; rú dēng Lóng mén zhī guān, shén cǎi gè yì, gè jí qí miào.)Qichun (Hubei) (湖北蕲春 (巨著传世达尔文赞誉百科全书)) - Age 75
Herbal medicine cradle along the Yangtze where Li Shizhen completed the Compendium, Hubei
Darwin's Tribute: The Ancient Chinese Encyclopedia for All Humankind
In 1593, just as the Jinling woodblocks were near completion, Li Shizhen passed away peacefully in Qichun at age 75. His masterpiece traversed oceans, translated into dozens of languages, cited extensively by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species.
From Shennong's ancient herbal until now, herbal medicine reaches its ultimate completion. Blessing the nation, longevity to people, enriching all humanity.
神农本草，至此大备。寿国寿民，泽被苍生。 (Shén nóng běn cǎo, zhì cǐ dà bèi. Shòu guó shòu mín, zé bèi cāng shēng.)
In-Depth Essays & Philosophical Inquiries on Li Shizhen
Browse All Classical Wisdom Essays in Directory
- Who Was Li Shizhen? The Ming Dynasty Herbalist Who Healed an Empire
Who was Li Shizhen? Discover the Ming dynasty physician who walked 10,000 miles over 27 years to write the Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu).
