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Li Shi-zhen (1518~1593), courtesy name Dongbi, known in his later years as Binhu Shanren, was born in Qizhou (present-day Qichun County, Hubei Province) into a family of physicians. His grandfather was a traveling doctor. His father, Li Yanwen, courtesy name Ziyu, pseudonym Yuechi, was a renowned local physician who had been appointed as an official in the Taiyiyuan and authored works such as Four Examinations Inventions, Qijing Bamai Kao, Treatise on Qizhou Mugwort, Treatise on Ginseng, and Smallpox Diagnosis and Treatment. His elder brother was named Guozhen. Li passed the county-level imperial examination at the age of 14 but failed the provincial-level examination in Wuchang three times, after which he devoted himself entirely to medicine.

Li was erudite and versatile. After failing the provincial examination, he studied Confucian classics under the neo-Confucian scholar Gu Riyan. He read extensively, from classical texts to the works of various philosophers and historians, and achieved profound mastery in neo-Confucianism. Li inherited his family's medical knowledge, read medical texts, taught students, and treated the poor, often without charge. In 1548, he cured the son of a wealthy patron, Prince Zhu Hou of Chu, and was appointed as the temple officer of the Chu princely estate, managing the medical office, and was recommended as a judge in the Taiyiyuan.

In 1552, Li began collecting materials in preparation for compiling the Bencao Gangmu. Li compiled the Bencao Gangmu based on the Zhenglei Bencao by Tang Shen-wei of the Song dynasty, integrating the essence of materia medica from the Tang and Song dynasties and supplementing the deficiencies of medical texts from the Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. He inherited the tradition of materia medica research in China, forging a new path and elevating materia medica to a new peak.

Li's academic thought and research methods were highly distinctive and reached a new level. Under new historical conditions, based on his practical experience, he improved ancient scientific methods and accumulated new experiences in scientific research. Li successfully employed methods such as observation and experimentation, comparison and classification, analysis and synthesis, critical inheritance, and historical verification.

Observation and experimentation are fundamental methods in materia medica research. Li Shi-zhen achieved great success by personally collecting and meticulously observing drugs to ascertain their true nature. Classification is a crucial task in scientific research, and the key to systematizing guiding medicinal research lies in establishing classification criteria. Li Shi-zhen broke away from the long-standing three-grade classification system of materia medica and established a three-kingdom, sixteen-part classification system, making the classification system more scientific.

In addition to the three-kingdom, sixteen-part classification system, he also established a more comprehensive classification system for drugs treating various diseases based on Tao Hong-jing's classification of principal drugs, and created a classification system for drug meridian tropism.

Li Shi-zhen proposed eight tasks to clarify each drug: explanation of names, collection of explanations, resolution of doubts, correction of errors, processing of materia medica, properties and flavors, principal treatments, inventions, and appended prescriptions. Not every drug had all eight tasks; some had five or six. In essence, he conducted systematic analysis and comprehensive synthesis of each drug, and on the basis of analysis, he made highly generalized summaries and syntheses.

Critical inheritance and investigative research are important methods in the study of Li Shi-zhen. In his study of each medicinal substance, he always first referred to various materia medica, examined the similarities and differences among them, and used his own observational and experimental results for verification: Bencao Jing only records the name of Barbary Wolfberry Fruit, without specifying the medicinal part; Mingyi Bielu points out that the root is Great Cold (24th solar term), and the seeds are slightly cold; Yaoxing Lun states that Barbary Wolfberry Fruit is sweet and neutral, and the seeds and leaves are the same, Bencao Yanyi says that Barbary Wolfberry Fruit is the stem bark, Li Shi-zhen says: "I believe that Barbary Wolfberry Fruit: the seedlings and leaves have a bitter-sweet taste and a cool nature; the root has a bland taste and a cold nature; the seeds have a sweet taste and a neutral nature. Since the tastes and natures are different, their functions should also be different. This is where later generations have expanded on what predecessors did not reach." Li, through his research, innovated on the basis of critical inheritance, "expanding on what predecessors did not reach," and this spirit runs through all his research activities.

Li personally practiced and extensively learned from the working people, paying attention to investigation and research, which was another important research method of his. The herb Xian was subject to various opinions, some saying it resembled Suanjiang, others claiming it was Canger, and yet others asserting it was Disong; Li , after extensive inquiries and careful examination of various herbs, concluded that Xian was indeed the mother of lard. Upon returning from the capital, he observed carters using Xuanfuhua to treat injuries from falls, thus affirming its benefits for invigorating qi, continuing tendons, and repairing fatigue damage. A neighbor's child suffering from food accumulation accidentally ate sheep and, upon returning, vomited profusely and recovered. Li was the first to record this variety in materia medica. He learned from hunters about the strengthening and invigorating functions of tiger bone; from vegetable farmers, he clarified that Yuntai was indeed rapeseed; from workers, he learned methods to prevent poisoning in mining. Mountain men, fishermen, farmers, tanners, and hunters were all his teachers, greatly benefiting him from his investigative research.

The method of historical textual research was a common scientific method used by Li . Through literature review, Bencao Gangmu recorded medical knowledge from India, Arabia, Nanyang, Hu people, Fan people, and from Sanskrit and Buddhist scriptures. Through historical textual research, it was pointed out that "according to Benjing , sesame is also named Jusheng, Baopuzi says, Jusheng is another name for sesame, using Huangmazi and Dalizi to fake sesame, is a mistake upon mistake, and must be distinguished."

Li advocated that man can conquer nature, and the achievements obtained through the above research methods strengthened this belief, considering that medicinal properties are not fixed and can be altered by artificial methods to change their natural properties. Medicinal properties that sink can be made to rise with wine; those that rise and float can be made to descend with salty and cold medicines. Li revealed the errors of superstitious beliefs in immortals, criticized the fallacy of taking medicine to ascend to immortality, and the folly of consuming gold and silver, "seeking immortality but losing life, can be said to be foolish." Living in water and walking on water are heresies; taking medicine to become immortal "the sin of mistaken consumption, common throughout the world," medicines "can cure diseases, but taking medicine is not advisable."

Li was rigorous in his studies, often concluding with "whether it is true or not is unknown" or "there is no evidence to consult, it is appended here for the knowledgeable to see," regarding unknown matters.

In 1578, Bencao Gangmu was completed. In 1580, Li visited Wang Shizhen in Taicang to seek a preface. Li passed away before it could be published. After the book was printed, it was partially or fully translated into Japanese, Korean, Latin, German, English, French, and Russian, spreading worldwide. Joseph Needham said, "The greatest scientific achievement of the Ming Dynasty is Li Shi-zhen's Bencao Gangmu ." Binhu Maixue , one volume, was written in 1564. Li emphasized comprehensive analysis of the four examinations, opposing the sole reliance on pulse diagnosis to determine illness. As for discussing pulses, he divided the 24 pulses into seven external, eight internal, and nine pathways, categorizing floating, large, rapid, moving, and slippery as yang, and sinking, short, rough, weak, and faint as yin.

Qijing Bamai Kao , approximately written in 1577, one volume. This book examines historical documents, detailing the circulation and main diseases of the extra meridians, and includes personal insights.

Li in clinical practice, revered Zhang Yuan-su , emphasized the differentiation of disease patterns, established rigorous laws, and used appropriate medications. In treatment, he either modified ancient prescriptions, created new prescriptions, or used folk single-experience prescriptions, often with good results.

Li proposed that Mingmen (GV4) is located between the two kidneys, which was further developed by Zhao Xian-ke; he pointed out that "the brain is the house of the original spirit," affirming the brain's function as the Zhongshu (GV7) of the entire body. He also authored Mingmen (GV4) Examination, Collection of Simple Formulas, Little Multibanded Krait Biography, and Maijue Textual Research, among others, which have been lost. The book Gangmu was co-authored by his father, his son, and his disciple Pang Lumen, with his second son Jianyuan illustrating the book. It can be considered a collective work primarily led by Li Shi-zhen.