Probably the most important single work in the history of Chinese medicine , Li Shizhen 's Bencao gangmu ( The Compendium of Materia Medica ) , for instance , was published in the 16th century .
The collection 's edition is a 19th century reprint .
Probably the most important single work in the history of Chinese medicine , Li Shizhen 's Bencao gangmu ( The Compendium of Materia Medica ) , for instance , was published in the 16th century , but the collection 's edition is a 19th century reprint .