Know Your Remedies: Pharmacy and Culture in Early Modern China

Know Your Remedies explores the cultural history of pharmacy in early modern China, revealing its role in the transformation of society through the interplay between elite and popular culture. It highlights the popularity of amateur pharmacology in the late Ming period and the shift towards a demedicalized natural history in the eighteenth century, supported by growth in long-distance trade.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 08 March 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Know Your Remedies delves into the captivating cultural history of pharmacy in early modern China, exploring the intricate relationship between the material nature of drugs and the trade in medicine. This comprehensive examination offers a panoramic perspective on China's cultural transformation during this era. While pharmacy in China has a rich tradition dating back to state-commissioned pharmacopeias known as bencao, its characterization as a commercial enterprise and a branch of classical medicine remains complex. Nonetheless, the ubiquitous presence of Chinese pharmacy shops around the world today serves as a testament to the enduring vitality of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In rejecting narratives of intellectual stagnation or an unchanging folk culture, author He Bian presents a fresh perspective on the history of pharmacy in early modern China. Bian argues that the history of pharmacy in this period can be best understood as a dynamic interplay between elite and popular culture. This interplay began with decentralizing trends in book culture and fiscal policy in the sixteenth century, which paved the way for pharmacy's central role in late Ming public discourse. Fueled by factional politics in the early 1600s, amateur investigation into pharmacology reached unprecedented popularity among the literati on the eve of the Qing conquest in the mid-seventeenth century.

The eighteenth century witnessed a significant shift in knowledge classification, as the Qing court shifted its focus away from pharmacopeia towards a demedicalized natural history. This shift was facilitated by growth in long-distance trade, which led to the rise of urban pharmacy shops and the generation of new knowledge about the natural world.

Know Your Remedies is a valuable resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike, as it brings together a wealth of primary sources that shed light on the history of pharmacy in early modern China. Through its comprehensive analysis, the book makes an essential contribution to the study of Chinese history and the history of medicine. By exploring the complex interplay between elite and popular culture, the book offers a fresh perspective on China's cultural transformation and its enduring influence on the world.

Weight: 392g
Dimension: 155 x 232 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691200132