"Compendium of Materia Medica" is a great work on pharmacology written by Li Shizhen, a medical scientist in Ming Dynasty. The whole book consists of fifty-two volumes, recording more than 1,800 kinds of herbal medicine. However, the book was only printed after Li Shizhen's death, and the reasons behind this deserve our further exploration.

Firstly, we need to understand that Li Shizhen paid tremendous efforts and time in creating "Compendium of Materia Medica". He spent nearly three decades collecting herbs, conducting field investigations, and referencing a large number of ancient books and documents. Therefore, the creation process of this book was extremely long and only completed before Li Shizhen's death.

Secondly, the social environment at that time also had an impact on the printing of "Compendium of Materia Medica". Although science and culture had developed somewhat in Ming Dynasty, printing technology was still relatively backward, and printing large books required a lot of manpower and material resources. In addition, since the content of "Compendium of Materia Medica" involves multiple fields such as medicine, botany, and zoology, interdisciplinary research and collation are needed, which also increases the difficulty of printing.

Finally, Li Shizhen's own attitude is also an important factor. He had extremely high requirements for his own works and hoped to present the best results to the world. Therefore, he continued to revise and improve "Compendium of Materia Medica" until the last moment of his life. He hoped that his work would be perfect and did not rush to publish it.

Overall, the printing of "Compendium of Materia Medica" was delayed until Li Shizhen's death due to the complexity of its creation, the social environment at that time, and Li Shizhen's rigorous attitude. However, it is this spirit of striving for excellence that makes "Compendium of Materia Medica" an immortal medical masterpiece and has had a profound impact on later generations.

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