Compendium of Materia Medica was a massive literary undertaking.
 Li's bibliography included nearly 900 books.
 Because of its size, it was not easy to use, though it was organized much more clearly than others that had come before, which had classified herbs only according to strength.
 He broke them down to animal, mineral, and plant and divided those categories by their source.
Dr. S. Y. Tan says: “his plants were classified according to the habitat, such as aquatic or rock origins, or by special characteristics, e.g. all sweet-smelling plants were grouped together.”

Li had exemplary recording techniques.
 Seeking to fix the errors of previous works, the medicinal plants and substances in the Compendium of Materia Medica were clearly organized and categorized.
 With every entry, he included:
“Information concerning a previously false classification;
Information on secondary names, including the sources of the names;
Collected explanations, commentaries and quotes in chronological order, including origin of the material, appearance, time of collection, medicinally useful parts, similarities with other medicinal materials;
Information concerning the preparation of the material;
Explanation of doubtful points;
Correction of mistakes;
Taste and nature;
Enumeration of main indications;
Explanation of the effects; and
Enumeration of prescriptions in which the material is used, including form and dosage of the prescriptions.”

Compendium of Materia Medica contained nearly 1,900 substances, which included 374 that had not appeared in other works.
 Not only did it list and describe the substances, but it also included prescriptions for use – about 11,000 - 8,000 of which were not well known.

The Compendium of Materia Medica also had 1160 illustrated drawings to aid the text.

In addition to writing Compendium of Materia Medica, Li was one of the first to recognize gallstones, use ice to bring down a fever, and to use steam and fumigants to prevent the spread of infection.
 Li also emphasized preventative medicine.

He said that “‘To cure disease is like waiting until one is thirsty before digging a well...’” and listed over 500 treatments to maintain good health and strengthen the body, 50 of which he invented himself.

Compendium of Materia Medica still has scientific, medical, and historical significance today.
 A plant or substance’s inclusion in the Compendium of Materia Medica is a sign of posterity.
 Medical clinics and manufacturers use his name and image on their logos and products and there was even a movie made about his life in 1956.
 His image can be found at almost every traditional medical college in China and in many books about Chinese medicine.
There is even a Li Shizhen award for “doctors and researchers who have made valuable contributions to traditional Chinese medicine.”

While only six copies of the original edition remain – One in the US Library of Congress,  two in China, and three in Japan (a seventh copy in Berlin was destroyed during World War II) – several new editions and numerous translations have been made throughout the centuries, and it was not replaced as the pharmaceutical materia medica of China until 1959: over 400 years after its first publication.
Compendium of Materia Medica was a massive literary undertaking.  Li's bibliography included nearly 900 books.  Because of its size, it was not easy to use, though it was organized much more clearly than others that had come before, which had classified herbs only according to strength.  He broke them down to animal, mineral, and plant and divided those categories by their source. Dr. S. Y. Tan says: “his plants were classified according to the habitat, such as aquatic or rock origins, or by special characteristics, e.g. all sweet-smelling plants were grouped together.”
Li had exemplary recording techniques.  Seeking to fix the errors of previous works, the medicinal plants and substances in the Compendium of Materia Medica were clearly organized and categorized.  With every entry, he included:
“Information concerning a previously false classification;
Information on secondary names, including the sources of the names;
Collected explanations, commentaries and quotes in chronological order, including origin of the material, appearance, time of collection, medicinally useful parts, similarities with other medicinal materials;
Information concerning the preparation of the material;
Explanation of doubtful points;
Correction of mistakes;
Taste and nature;
Enumeration of main indications;
Explanation of the effects; and
Enumeration of prescriptions in which the material is used, including form and dosage of the prescriptions.”
Compendium of Materia Medica contained nearly 1,900 substances, which included 374 that had not appeared in other works.  Not only did it list and describe the substances, but it also included prescriptions for use – about 11,000 - 8,000 of which were not well known.
The Compendium of Materia Medica also had 1160 illustrated drawings to aid the text.
In addition to writing Compendium of Materia Medica, Li was one of the first to recognize gallstones, use ice to bring down a fever, and to use steam and fumigants to prevent the spread of infection.  Li also emphasized preventative medicine.
He said that “‘To cure disease is like waiting until one is thirsty before digging a well...’” and listed over 500 treatments to maintain good health and strengthen the body, 50 of which he invented himself.
Compendium of Materia Medica still has scientific, medical, and historical significance today.  A plant or substance’s inclusion in the Compendium of Materia Medica is a sign of posterity.  Medical clinics and manufacturers use his name and image on their logos and products and there was even a movie made about his life in 1956.  His image can be found at almost every traditional medical college in China and in many books about Chinese medicine. There is even a Li Shizhen award for “doctors and researchers who have made valuable contributions to traditional Chinese medicine.”
While only six copies of the original edition remain – One in the US Library of Congress,  two in China, and three in Japan (a seventh copy in Berlin was destroyed during World War II) – several new editions and numerous translations have been made throughout the centuries, and it was not replaced as the pharmaceutical materia medica of China until 1959: over 400 years after its first publication.
Li Shizhen