A History of Medicine in Chinese Culture, 2 Volumes Set

This book set covers the last 3000 years of Chinese Medicine, as a broadly flowing river, from its source to its mouth. It takes the story from the very beginnings in proto-scientific China to the modern age, with a wealth of historical and cultural detail. It is unique in presenting many anecdotes, sayings, and excerpts from the traditional classics.

The content is organized into four parts. Part one focuses on the medical activities in Chinese primitive society and the characteristic features of the witchcraft stage of medicine. Part two traces the progress of Chinese medicine as it entered the stage of natural philosophy. It also discusses how other aspects of philosophy, religion, and politics influenced Chinese medical theory and practice at the time. Chinese medicine, having a kind of social existence, was also impacted by the natural and social environment, and multiple cultural factors. Some of these factors are discussed in Part three. The last part concludes by examining the cultural process of Chinese medicine in history and offers a glimpse into the future of Chinese Medicine.

Contents:

• Volume 1:
  • The Cultural Background to the Origins of Chinese Medicine:
    • Primitive Human Beings, Their Health, Culture and Ecological Environment in China
    • Primitive Thought, Worship and Medical Culture
    • The Primitive View of Life, Getting Old, Illness and Death: The Pursuit of Longevity
    • Treatment in a World of Wizardry
    • The Origin of Medicine
  • Chinese Medicine under the Influence and Permeation of Philosophy, Religion and Politics:
    • The Heavenly Law (Tao) of Nature and Medicine in Deference to Nature
    • Occultist Culture and Medicine Under the Impact of the Confucian Classics and Chenwei Philosophy
    • Religious Taoism and Medical Culture
    • Neo-Taoism and Medicine During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties
    • Confucianism and Medicine
    • The Emperors, Their Government and Medicine
• Volume 2:
  • Medicine in Social Life; Epidemics and the Invention of Variolation:
    • Medicine in Different Social Environments
    • Epidemics and the Triggering Mechanism of Disaster
    • Smallpox Remedies and Variolation in Ancient China
    • Science, Technology and Medicine: Ancient Occupational Disease, Its Prevention and Treatment
    • The Culture of Reproduction and Medical Science
    • Sexual Culture in Medicine
    • Medical Science, the Culture of Food and Other Things
    • A Glance at Altar Medicine
    • The Mentality and Behaviour of Physicians and Patients in the Tradition
  • The Cultural Process of Chinese Medicine in History and Its Crystallization:
    • The Essential Stream of Chinese Medicine and Its Outcomes
    • The Root of Life and the Future of Chinese Medicine
• Conclusion of Part Four
• General Conclusions
• About the Author