The Divine Farmers Materia Medica

This text is written by the famous Confucianist and medical doctor Chen Xiuyuan (1753 - 1823 in Fu Jian), which was first printed in 1803."

This book is a literal translation of one of the earliest and most important classics of Chinese medicine and natural science: the Shén Nóng B'nc'o J'ng ? or "Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica." Compiled in the third century CE but undoubtedly much older in content, it contains information on 365 substances that were considered to have beneficial effects on the human body.

Publication of the first English language translation of this Chinese medical text bearing the name of the most famous Chinese doctor of antiquity, Hua Tuo, gives Western practitioners access to what is, perhaps, the premier proto-Daoist medical classic. In particular, this book is a great source of information on pulse diagnosis and is the locus classicus of the theory of warm supplementation, containing numerous fascinating herbal and alchemical formulas for both internal and external usage.

How did ancient scientific and knowledge-ordering writers make their work authoritative? This book answers that question for a wide range of ancient disciplines, from mathematics, medicine, architecture and agriculture, through to law, historiography and philosophy - focusing mainly, but not exclusively, on the literature of the Roman Empire. It draws attention to habits that these different fields had in common, while also showing how individual texts and authors manipulated standard techniques of self-authorisation in distinctive ways. It stresses the importance of competitive and assertive styles of self-presentation, and also examines some of the pressures that pulled in the opposite direction by looking at authors who chose to acknowledge the limitations of their own knowledge or resisted close identification with narrow versions of expert identity. A final chapter by Sir Geoffrey Lloyd offers a comparative account of scientific authority and expertise in ancient Chinese, Indian and Mesopotamian culture.

This innovative collection opens a door into the rich history of animals in China. This title is also available as Open Access.

Open access edition: DOI 10.6069/9780295749013 At first glance, medicine and poison might seem to be opposites. But in China’s formative era of pharmacy (200–800 CE), poisons were strategically employed as healing agents to cure everything from abdominal pain to epidemic disease. Healing with Poisons explores the ways physicians, religious figures, court officials, and laypersons used toxic substances to both relieve acute illnesses and enhance life. It illustrates how the Chinese concept of du—a word carrying a core meaning of “potency”—led practitioners to devise a variety of methods to transform dangerous poisons into effective medicines. Recounting scandals and controversies involving poisons from the Era of Division to the Tang, historian Yan Liu considers how the concept of du was central to how the people of medieval China perceived both their bodies and the body politic. He also examines the wide range of toxic minerals, plants, and animal products used in classical Chinese pharmacy, including everything from the herb aconite to the popular recreational drug Five-Stone Powder. By recovering alternative modes of understanding wellness and the body’s interaction with foreign substances, this study cautions against arbitrary classifications and exemplifies the importance of paying attention to the technical, political, and cultural conditions in which substances become truly meaningful. Healing with Poisons is freely available in an open access edition thanks to TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem) and the generous support of the University of Buffalo.

An essential guide to understanding the health benefits of marijuana and CBD Marijuana has been used for thousands of years as a medicine, but pot has been illegal in the United States for most of our lives. Almost all states have now legalized its medical use, and many consumers and physicians are exploring it as an alternative to conventional treatments. There’s substantial evidence that marijuana (cannabis) is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain, chemo side effects, sleep and mood disorders, MS, and Parkinson’s disease, among others. But there’s also misinformation about marijuana on social media. And most physicians have limited knowledge on the subject, while dispensary staff (aka “budtenders”) lack medical training. Mikhail Kogan, MD, a renowned expert on medical marijuana, has found that cannabinoids (THC, CBD, hemp, and other cannabis products) can often be more beneficial, have fewer side effects, and be safer than many conventional medications, including opioids and other painkillers. But different ailments require different strains, doses, and routes of delivery. Medical Marijuana demystifies marijuana and other forms of cannabis in a user-friendly guide that will help readers: • Understand how marijuana morphed from the days of “Reefer Madness” to being hailed as a wonder weed • Navigate the complex medical and legal world of marijuana • Understand the risks and benefits of THC, CBD, and other cannabis products • Evaluate the pros and cons of inhaled and other routes of delivery: edibles, topicals, and even suppositories • Find a doctor who can recommend medical cannabis • Choose a reliable dispensary • Learn how to evaluate labels on cannabis products • Discover cost-saving strategies since medical marijuana isn’t covered by health insurance With real-life patients’ stories woven throughout the book, simple explanatory graphics, and the most up-to-date information, this is the definitive guide to the wide-ranging benefits of medical marijuana and other forms of cannabis.